Uncommon Alliance
by Stargalaxy
Summary: COMPLETE. Captured and experimented on by the wraith, Sheppard must find a way to save himself before it's too late. Common Ground spoilers.
1. Chapter 1 to 8

_Author: Stargalaxy  
Rated: T (for language & violence)  
Category: General (Action/Adventure, __H/C, __Drama, __Angst.)  
Spoilers: Common Ground. (Takes place sometime after Common Ground - season 3)  
Summary: Captured and experimented on by the wraith, Sheppard must find a way to escape before it's too late. Along the way, he gets help from an unexpected source. The team, especially McKay, gets more involved in the second half of this tale.)  
__Characters: Mainly Sheppard, nameless wraith (from CG) and OCs. McKay, Teyla, Ronon, Weir, Beckett & Caldwell also appear later.  
__Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.  
AN: This fic may start out a little dark but trust me it's really not a dark fic. __All feedback, including constructive ones are welcomed._

* * *

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy 

**Chapter 1**

The worst thing about waking up from a Wraith stunner blast was the great unknown: of not knowing where you're going to wake up, the predicament that you're going to be in, and what you're going to find. The next worse thing was the roaring headache that you experienced at the moment of awakening: it felt as if someone had just sucker punched you right in between the eyes. The third was the feeling of fading numbness followed rapidly by uncomfortable pins and needles running through your entire body.

John Sheppard experienced all three of these after he had received a Wraith stunner blast right in the chest. Upon regaining consciousness, the first thing he did was to open his eyes to determine his whereabouts. He saw dark grey-green walls with strange cobweb-like devices hanging from the above ceiling. At the top corner of the wall behind him were two small spotlights shining down on him. Further beyond was a closed metal door, presumably tightly shut, sealing him from the outside world. There was a strange, foreign metallic smell, alien yet slightly familiar somehow, as if he had smelt it before. He groaned and his heartbeat accelerated, he knew instantly that he wasn't in friendly territory - not in a puddlejumper nor in Atlantis. It was enough to tell him that he was in trouble. Between the pounding of his aching head and the uncomfortable pins and needles of his awakening body, he also realised that he was standing upright, his arms extended, his wrists chained above him to the wall. That would account for the uncomfortable burning sensation on his arms, shoulders and wrists.

_'Not good, John... What have got yourself into this time?' _he admonished himself.

At the other side of the metal door, he heard footsteps approaching. His mind raced, trying to recall what had happened that brought him to this predicament. He remembered running, trying to support the Wraith-stunned weight of Ronon Dex between him and McKay as they tried to make it back to the Stargate. He remembered looking back, knowing that Wraith behind them would be upon them soon. He knew that he had to do something or his team wouldn't make it back to the Stargate in one piece...

---

**A few hours earlier**

Sheppard called out to Teyla, who was guarding their retreat.

"What is it, John?" the Athosian asked, a worried frown evident on her brows.

"Here, take Ronon," he stated, transferring half the weight of the unconscious Satedan to Teyla's slim shoulders as she came over.

McKay who was supporting the big guy's weight on the other side, grumbled. "Conan here needs to go on a diet, otherwise the next time he gets accidentally hit by a Wraith stunner, I'm going to leave him there to rescue himself. Lugging around all his weight is going to put my back in traction, you know!"

"What are you going to do, Colonel?" Teyla asked Sheppard, bracing against the Satedan's weight. As the runner was so tall, he was more accurately dragged rather than carried by his two shorter team mates.

John didn't answer, instead he looked at her and then at Rodney and asked, "Do you think you two can manage it back to the gate?"

"Yes, yes," Rodney replied testily, "Despite Ronon having a healthy appetite that makes him feel like Moby Dick, we should be able to handle him between the two of us. That's provided we don't become Wraith snacks ourselves."

Two pair of worried eyes gazed at him.

Rodney however suspected something. "But what are you going to do? Because I know you, Sheppard... You're probably going to do something dangerous that involves risking your life again. Otherwise you wouldn't have passed the big guy here to Teyla and me."

Sheppard checked his P90, making sure that it was fully loaded, he knew that he needed more than the ammunition he currently had. He turned towards Teyla. "Do you have any spare clips?" he asked. He had used up his in the last fray against Wraith. It had occurred after they had blown up what appeared to be a Wraith research facility that they had discovered on the planet. It was the reason why Wraith were chasing them now.

She checked and handed hers over to him. Sheppard nodded his thanks before turning to McKay.

"Hand me those two small mines that we found, Rodney."

The scientist dug into his pocket and handed the required arsenal over to Sheppard. "Mind if I ask what're you planning to do with them?"

Dark eyes heightened with worry echoed the blue gaze that stared anxiously back at him. "John?" Teyla asked again, using his first name this time.

He knew then that both Teyla and Rodney would not like what he had to say. So he forced a confident smile, even though deep down, his heart was pounding rapidly at what was required of him.

"Provide a diversion to prevent you guys from becoming Wraith snacks," he finally replied.

"_What?! _By becoming Wraith bait yourself?" Rodney retorted in a high pitched sarcastic tone.

He could see that the scientist did not like the idea, neither did Teyla, but there was no choice here. He would do anything for the safety of his team. The forced smile widened.

"Something like that..."

The sounds of pursuit approached closer. It had to be now or never.

"Get going!" This time it was a command, an explicit order. There was no more time for arguing or niceties. "Get back to Atlantis! Bring back reinforcements if you have to, but I should be following you guys shortly."

There were more sounds, more noises, all knew that within a few minutes the enemy would be upon them. Teyla and Rodney looked at each other, not happy that their team leader wouldn't be following them. However, they didn't have time to argue, it was Sheppard's decision. If they didn't have an unconscious Ronon to think about, it might have been a different matter. They trusted their team leader to do what was required; they had no choice but to obey. But before they left they promised to return and bring back help. McKay reached into his vest pocket and threw the last of his two PowerBars at him.

"Here! You owe me two PowerBars, Sheppard! You'd better be in one piece for me to claim them back!"

Sheppard smiled as he caught the PowerBars, then he was off. He turned towards a bush tree filled with leaves, broke a nearby branch and swiftly began erasing his team's tracks as he backtracked, running in the opposite direction. Before he reached the rocky path that left no tracks, he stopped, dug two holes strategically spaced apart and placed the two mines in them. It wasn't long before they were covered with sand again with no evidence of their presence. When he was done, he radioed back to his team, informing them where he had placed the mines. After all, he didn't want his own people accidentally stepping on them if they returned. However, he hoped that they would stop any Wraith from trying to make their way to the Stargate.

Dusting his hands, he cleared all evidence of his own tracks and those of his team before heading back towards the rocky path. When he reached it, he threw away the branch and headed west, away from the Stargate. After running for about a minute, he brought out his 9mm and shot a round into the air. He knew that it should get Wraith attention. He hoped that his team wouldn't be stupid enough to turn around and come back for him. But he had faith in them, they would obey his command, no matter what happened. They would make sure that Ronon was safe in Atlantis first before they returned for him.

He ran on. It wasn't long before he heard a loud explosion, then another. He smiled grimly hoping that they were enough to give his team time to make it back to the gate safely. Taking a quick backwards glance, he caught sight of several Wraith behind him. They were fast runners and they were rapidly closing in on him. He opened fire, then dashed off and ran for his life. They followed. With rapid breaths, he led them further and further away from the Stargate. It was a good thing that he went running with Ronon every morning, otherwise, he knew that he wouldn't have been able to keep up the intense pace. The Wraith followed like bloodhounds on his trail.

Suddenly he saw a couple of Wraith appear ahead of him. His P90 automatically came up, his fingers pulling the trigger until he realised that they were illusions, projected by Wraith themselves to disorient him. He cursed loudly, angry at himself for wasting bullets and falling for their mind tricks. Several energy blasts discharged behind him, hitting the rocks ahead, narrowly missing him as he ran in a zig-zag manner, determined not to make an easy target. Dammit! They were too close for comfort. Despite his burning lungs, chest and legs, he pushed forward, increasing his pace, hoping to reach some sort of cover where he could make a stand.

It looked like his plan had worked, he certainly got all Wraith attention now - the only problem was finding a way out of it. He quickly became aware of his mistake when he reached a dead-end canyon. To his horror, he realised that he was boxed in, his escape route cut off by Wraith. He cursed silently, angry and breathless at his own stupidity. He had been unfamiliar with the layout of the land when he chose the path that led to the dead-end canyon. Turning, he desperately scanned his surroundings, noting a large boulder where he decided to make his last stand. In the ensuring fight that followed, he managed to get five Wraith before a Wraith stunner got him in the chest. He never even felt it as his body hit the ground.

---

**The Present**

_'Crap, I'm so screwed!' _Sheppard thought to himself at the recollection.

He remembered the last time he had been fed upon by a Wraith. It was not something that he wished to experience again. This time, he knew that there would be no common ground between him and the Wraith that had captured him. After all, he had killed five of their kind. At least, he hoped that he had killed them and not only wounded them; he knew all about their rapid healing powers after a feed. He wished that they hadn't taken him alive; it would have been far better for him if he had been killed. Unfortunate for him but certainly not for Wraith. Yet, he knew that they would interrogate him first in an attempt to find out who he was and where he came from before they took their fill. After all, he and his team had successfully destroyed the Wraith's small research facility. They would be pissed, they would want answers, and they would try to make him give it to them. He only hoped that they didn't have a Wraith queen with them. He would rather not face one of those again.

The metal door opened. The time had arrived and John Sheppard steeled himself for what he was about to face. The day was turning out to be one crap of a day...

---

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"We've got to get back!" Rodney shouted as soon as he and Teyla came through the Stargate carrying an unconscious Ronon between them. Dr Elizabeth Weir hurried down the lighted steps, activating her radio at the same time. "Medical emergency at the Gate room!"

"Slow down, Rodney. Tell us what happened. Where's Colonel Sheppard? What happened to Ronon?" she asked, frowning in concern as she watched the two members of Sheppard's team gently place the motionless Satedan on the Gate room floor. Both of them appeared breathless and exhausted.

"Ronon should be fine, he was hit by a Wraith stunner. He should awake in a few hours," Teyla informed her tiredly, yet her face looked grim. Elizabeth recognised the worried look; John was in trouble.

"But we have to get back for Sheppard!" Rodney gasped loudly, breathing rapidly with anxiety. "There were about two dozen or more Wraith chasing after us, he led them off. A diversion he called it, but I don't think he'll be able to outrun them. Not with so many. I say we get a ready a Puddle Jumper, rescue Sheppard, before it's too late!"

Weir nodded, catching on fast. She changed the frequency of her radio and asked Major Lorne to get ready for a rescue mission, informing him that Rodney and Teyla would be joining him.

"Also, Major Lorne, you might want to take a medic with you. Sheppard might need medical treatment."

She then turned back towards the two members of Sheppard's team. "Report to the infirmary immediately. Get an all clear first then get ready to depart with Major Lorne's team."

---

The metal door swished open and three Wraith walked into the room. Two stationed themselves in the corner, almost hidden by the dark shadows while one approached him slowly. He stood at the centre of the room for a long time, staring at his prisoner chained close to the wall. Then he strode forward and walked towards Sheppard and around him. There was enough of a gap between the wall and the prisoner for the Wraith to circle him quite comfortably. As he approached closer, his nostrils expanded and he sniffed the air as if testing it. It reminded Sheppard of a wild animal sniffing out its quarry and it didn't make him feel better.

Uncomfortable with the scrutiny, Sheppard finally spoke. "Hey there. Nice accommodation you've got here. Don't suppose you'll let me go?"

At his words, the Wraith laughed, a low guttural laugh, the sound common to the laughter of his kind. Sheppard had heard it before, from Steve, and from other Wraith who had tried to kill him.

The Wraith approached closer, its eyes almost gleaming in the dim light. "You are brave, human... defiant, but soon you will be brave no longer. Soon, you will be begging for your life and telling me all that you know."

Sheppard's gaze locked onto the Wraith, his mind coming up with a smart aleck response, ready to be released at the tip of his tongue. However, wisdom prevailed and he held it back, knowing that it would not do him any good in his present circumstances. Silence was all he had to work with for now. He turned his gaze forward, looking straight ahead at the dark empty shadows of the wall across the room. It was the standard military stance for a prisoner of war. Never look into your interrogator's eyes if you do not want him to read you. He knew then that he was so totally screwed.

---

The Stargate activated, and Weir hurried across to the Gate room to stand beside the Canadian technician.

"It's Major Lorne's IDC ma'am."

Weir nodded. "Lower the shields," she said, knowing that she didn't really need to tell the young man how to do his job; after all the Canadian was competent enough. He knew what he was doing. But it gave her something to do besides feeling the tightening knot of tension in her stomach. As more time passed and they still heard no news about Colonel Sheppard, the worry knot within her worsened. There was the saying that no news was good news, but in this instance, she felt that the longer they heard no news from the search and rescue team, the less chance it was going to be good news.

She looked at the Canadian technician and wished that it was Peter Grodin there instead. While she had nothing against the young man who took his place in the Gate room, he was just another face among many of the new personnel who came aboard from the Daedalus. It was at times like this when she missed the English scientist's calming presence. He would have been able to sense her concern and in turn would have probably told her not to worry. It would have been a fruitless effort of course, but it still would have been comforting to hear nonetheless; to know that there was someone who believed that things would turn out all right. Peter had been a close colleague whom she had known since their work together in Antarctica, and she still missed his presence in the Gate room. When he had been killed in the fight against the Wraith, she had mourned his loss. She hoped and prayed that Colonel Sheppard wouldn't be the next victim to fall at the hands of the Wraith.

She moved away from the Canadian technician and came to stand beside Ronon Dex. She could sense the tension radiating from him a mile away. When he awoke in the infirmary and discovered what Sheppard had done for the team, he wanted to go back to the planet immediately. Alone, if he had to. But she had counter commanded him, saying that Sheppard had risked his life for him, and she wasn't about to let the Satedan throw it away especially since there was already a rescue team out there trying to get Sheppard back. He had looked at her fiercely, his dark eyes blazing with fury, and for a moment, she thought that he was going to disobey her orders. But he had punched his fist into the wall instead. There was now a slight dent on the said wall and Elizabeth wondered whether the Satedan had hurt his hand in the process. If he did, he never showed it, but Elizabeth suspected that the pain and bruise he received as the result of his action must have helped the Satedan rein in his frustration and anger at the situation. She sighed, knowing full well how the Satedan felt, because she felt the same way too: the frustration, the worried anxiety, not knowing whether a certain stubborn Lt Colonel would make it back to Atlantis alive.

The waiting was the worse part. She tried to handle it the best way she could by keeping her mind busy with various tasks at hand. There were always many things that needed her attention on Atlantis. But Ronon, she knew, did not handle the waiting well. He paced, back and forth in the Gate room at Atlantis. Sometimes, he disappeared for a few moments, perhaps to go for a run when his tension got too great, Elizabeth did not know; but always, after a while, he would be return to the pacing, as if trying to wear a hole on the ground. His pacing made the others working in the Gate room nervous. Everyone stayed clear from the Satedan. No one dared to approach or speak to the man when he was in that dark mood. All knew that he was awaiting word regarding Sheppard's rescue. To say that the atmosphere in the Gate room was tensed would be an understatement.

She nodded a greeting at Ronon. He gave her a curt nod back in return but did not say anything. It was as expected, he was not one for much words. As she waited, she lifted her hand towards her lips and bit her thumb nail, a bad habit that she got when she was especially worried or nervous. When she realised what she was doing, she mentally and physically forced herself to place her hand back down again in order to project an aura of calmness. After all, she was the leader of the Atlantis expedition, she had to act the part.

There was a radio crackle, then Lorne's voice filled the Gate room from the overhead speakers.

"Dr Weir, the scanners didn't pick up any sign of Colonel Sheppard's subcutaneous transmitter. Nor did it pick up any lifesigns of Wraith presence. We found a trail that led to a dead-end canyon. We think that the Colonel might have been captured then. I'm sorry Dr Weir, but there's no way to know where Colonel Sheppard has been taken."

In the background, she could hear Rodney's voice, asking Lorne to make another run around the area.

"We're already scanned and searched the area three times, Dr McKay. How much more times do you want us to do it?" All in the Gate room heard Lorne's words to the scientist.

"As many times until we find him!" Rodney declared hotly.

"Rodney, how can we find John if he's no longer on the planet? Perhaps once we get back to Atlantis, you might be able to find a way to track down where the Wraith ship might have taken him." That was from Teyla - as always the voice of reason.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, bringing her hands tightly across her chest as she folded them together. Sheppard was gone; they had been too late. He was now in the hands of the Wraith once again. She shuddered at the thought recalling all too vividly the scenes of him being fed on by the Wraith when he was a prisoner of Koyla. She prayed that it wasn't so again. Beside her she heard a low, angry growl, and a sense of movement. Opening her eyes, she saw that Ronon Dex had left the Gate room.

---

The fist slammed viciously into his midriff, resulting in a gut wrenching pain that stole his breath away. Before he could get a reprieve, a knife whipped out, slicing deep into his forearm. Blood began to pool and bleed from the cut, streaming down his forearm onto the side of his black t-shirt. The Wraith before him smiled, as he walked behind Sheppard. Another fist struck out, hitting hard, this time right in the kidneys.

A grunt and gasp of pain escaped from him but no screams yet. He refused to cry out; he refused to give the Wraith the satisfaction of hearing his pain. However, he knew that it couldn't last, it was getting harder to muffle out the hurt from his body's abuse. Strung up as he was, and wanting to double over from the pain radiating from his body, he was finding it quite difficult to breathe properly at the moment. It took a force of will for him to lift his head and stare stubbornly back at the Wraith again, but that he did. Ever since he was a small boy, his mother had always called him stubborn especially when he was punished for something that he felt wasn't his fault. He guessed she was right, because now, despite the amount of hurt he was currently experiencing, he refused to give the Wraith the luxury of seeing him cowed. So he shot the Wraith that was hurting him a death glare, then purposely turned his gaze to stare straight ahead, not saying a word. It was the only insult he could give him.

A long fingered greenish hand reached out and pulled his hair painfully, jerking his head backwards so that he was now once again looking straight into the Wraith's reptilian-like eyes.

"Tell us what we want to know human and your suffering will end!"

Sheppard decided to call the Wraith, Daffy, pea-brained Daffy, silly Daffy Duck, for it seemed to have a one-tracked mind, that is, to use him as a boxing bag and poke him full of holes. He knew the tactics: the Wraith was doing damage to him without out-right killing him. He supposed he should be glad that so far there had been no feeding on his life, but given the present set of circumstances, he found it difficult to be thankful for anything. His only hope now was for his team to return and rescue him in time before he truly became a Wraith meal that had been sliced and diced.

"I already told you... Daffy, mind if I call you Daffy? I'm ...from ...Disney world, and my leader's name is Mickey Mouse..."

The Wraith released his hair and another fist slammed into his midriff, harder this time, more vicious than the others. He heard something crack deep within him, followed by a familiar pain. Dammit, there went a rib, or maybe two, he wasn't certain. The evil looking knife whipped out again, and Daffy grinned again, showing an impressive array of sharp pointed teeth.

"Defiance," he hissed, "gets you no where, human... but pain!" The knife plunged into Sheppard's right thigh. This time he could not hold back the scream. The Wraith smiled to hear his cry of pain.

"Yes..., little human. That is better, much better. Why do you try to hide the truth from us? It is a useless, futile effort, I can sense your fear, I can sense your lies... Soon, your homeworld will be our new feeding ground. I have not felt such defiance... nor such strength from your kind before, but it will do you no good, human..." Daffy said, whispering close to his ear almost as if it were a caress. Then he pulled the knife viciously out from his thigh. Sheppard gasped painfully at the action. However, this time, he managed to hold back the scream.

Although his head hung down wearily, angry hazel green eyes lifted and shot daggers at the Wraith. He felt blood bubbling out from stab wound on his thigh; hot and sticky, running down his leg. The smell of blood now pervaded the air. His leg throbbed painfully with the pulse of his beating heart. The Wraith lifted the bloody knife and placed it at the side of Sheppard's face. John's eyes, tight with pain, stubbornly met the gaze of his tormentor. He wondered where was its queen. Usually she would be the one who did the interrogating and the psychic attack.

"I smell the fear within you human. You give the illusion of defiance, human, but your heart beats rapidly in anxiety... So, I ask you again, what is the name of your homeworld? The coordinates? How did you find out about our research facility? You and your people caused considerable damage to our complex, many years of research were lost. You will tell us about your homeworld, your people, or suffer the consequences. Where are you from, human? The name of your planet... What is your name?"

"Disney world..." Sheppard gasped out again. "And the name's Luke Skywalker..."

"LIAR!" the Wraith screamed into his ear. For the first time, John wondered how Daffy knew that he was lying. After all, it was only names, nothing more... He had felt no fear when he said them, he had made sure of that. But then, maybe Daffy already knew who he was and where he came from. Perhaps, this was all some sort of elaborate test. He wasn't sure and he wasn't about to take the chance. If his people did not rescue him, his death was eminent, that much he knew. Better to go down dying for your home and friends than to be a betrayer of them.

Sheppard had no time to reflect any further as the Wraith suddenly slammed his feeding hand onto his chest. Cruel reptilian-like eyes captured his gaze as if trying to bore a hole into his brain. "If you refuse to answer my questions truthfully, human, then I will take it from you when I FEED!"

John glared silently back at the Wraith as perspiration began to pour down from his forehead leaking into his eyes, he knew what was about to occur, he had experienced it all before. In Atlantis he had awakened from countless nightmares recalling his time with Koyla as he was fed upon by a Wraith. Terror seized him and his heart started to hammer at breakneck speed. He did not want this to happen, he could not allow this to happen, not again. But despite his fear, he stood firm his ground: he could not, would not, betray Atlantis and Earth to the Wraith. Then he felt it, a feeling that he never wanted to experience in his life ever again. It was as if he was reliving his worst nightmare, but now it was a hundred times worse, for this time, he knew beforehand the pain and the agony that he would experience. Sometimes it was better not to know the experience set in store for you. Sometimes it was better not to see death in the eye. The burning sensation in his chest increased, spreading like rapid wildfire, filling up his entire being. Then he felt his life essence being sucked from his chest; he flung his head backwards, his eyes tightly shut and tried his best not to scream...

---

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Indescribable agony bombarded his senses as he felt his life-force being ripped from his body. Sheppard screamed. The pain, all too familiar, tore through his chest as the Wraith fed upon him. Exploding streaks of light began to dance across his tightly closed eyes. Only seconds had passed, yet it seemed like an eternity. Unexpectedly, he heard a surprised gasp from the Wraith and the feeding ended abruptly when the Wraith removed his hand from his chest as if it burned him.

Pulling great gasps of air into his lungs, Sheppard managed to painfully lift his head to look at the Wraith, wondering why it didn't finish him. He wondered how many years the Wraith had taken from him, one, five, ten? He wasn't sure, but he didn't feel as if he had aged that much. As his gaze met that of the Wraith's, he was surprised to find that there was a shocked look on Daffy's face. The reptilian-like eyes were wide, his mouth ajar as Daffy stared at his feeding hand and then back at Sheppard again.

"You have received the gift of life! It is an honour reserved only to a selected few. Yet, you and your people have killed our kind, destroyed our base. This is not the action of a Wraith worshipper. How did you receive it? Who was the Wraith that marked you so?"

_So, that's why it stopped feeding. It wants to know who gave it to me… The irony is I never knew its name_, Sheppard thought to himself. He always thought of the Wraith who had saved him as Kolya's Nameless Wraith, even though in truth, it never really belonged to Kolya. The Nameless Wraith was one Wraith whom he felt some uncommon respect for - an honourable Wraith if he ever met one. And even if he had known its name, Sheppard would have never revealed it to Daffy for he was not one to betray those who helped him; it was one of his codes of life.

A hard fist suddenly slammed into his face, making his head spin. He felt the taste of blood in his mouth from a split lip. His heart still pounded rapidly like a runaway train and the front of his chest had not ceased hurting from the recent feeding.

"You will answer me, human!" hissed his interrogator. He heard the two shadowy Wraith shift at this, as if eager to hear his response.

"Perhaps all Wraith do not believe in taking human life as food..." he finally replied. "Perhaps, there is honour among Wraith..."

"Ah... so now you choose to speak... and to lie... badly," Daffy sneered. "All Wraith have to take human life, it is that which makes us Wraith. We have to feed in order to survive. Your life was spared for another reason, I want to know why."

"Well, we do _not_ appreciate being fed on," he replied, ignoring the question. "And we have to fight back in order to survive."

Daffy broke out into a laugh, finding his reply amusing. When he finally stopped, the look that he gave Sheppard chilled him to the bone. "What is your name?"

He thought about it and decided on another name. After all, they did not believe him when he said Skywalker.

"James T Kirk."

Daffy brought his face close to Sheppard's and hissed, "Very well… Kirk. Do you wish to talk now?"

"Oh sure, how's the weather out there?" Sheppard replied sarcastically.

Another fist slammed into his side and before Sheppard could regain his breath, his hair was jerked backwards once again as the Wraith hissed angrily at him.

"What you do not wish to reveal now, we will get out from you when you reach our next research outpost..."

Sheppard's gaze came up to meet the Wraith's at that revelation. For the first time since waking up, he noticed the low hum and the slight vibration of the metal floor. With a sinking heart, he became aware that he was on board a Wraith vessel, possibly a Hive ship. That would mean that he was no longer on the planet. It also meant that he was on his own. His team wouldn't be able to track him down now.

"So... lost your appetite?" He finally gasped out, knowing that his words were stupid, meant to antagonise the Wraith further, but he felt reckless and pissed by his current predicament. He was rewarded by another vicious fist in the gut. He grunted painfully, wishing that he could bend over to ease the raging torment that pulsed in his chest, gut and thigh. He didn't know which felt worse, they all seemed to compete with each other on the pain factor.

"Don't try my patience, human," sneered Daffy. "We will get the information that we want from you. Because you have received the gift of life, you will not be fed upon, but you will suffer, most painfully, rest assured. When we reach our outpost, we will use you as our test subject for our experiments. Soon, you will be screaming, begging to tell us all that you know, because the pain will tear you apart otherwise."

Sheppard suddenly felt a solid fist hit him violently across the right temple, flinging him to one side as far as the metal shackles allowed. Blinding pain exploded in his head; black dots swam across his vision and a roaring filled his ears. Dizzy and close to losing consciousness, he barely heard the instructions being given to other Wraith.

"Take him down, place him into the storage cocoon below, that should keep his wounds in stasis until we reach our outpost."

In spite of wanting to stay conscious, darkness reached its tentacles out towards him, capturing him in its cold embrace. He never felt his wrists released from the metal shackles above and his body dragged away.

---

Teyla and Ronon approached McKay's lab. The scientist was busy typing on his computer keyboard, frowning at the screen, while munching on a PowerBar.

"Rodney," Teyla said, giving him a little nod of acknowledgement. "How is it going?"

McKay barely glanced at his two team mates before bending down to continue typing. Teyla came around to look at the scientist's computer screen while Ronon took a seat nearby. They saw that the scientist was busy calculating some complicated trajectories on his computer.

"Have you figured out where they've taken Sheppard yet?" Ronon asked impatiently from his seat.

McKay finally looked up from his computer screen. "Do you know how many planets there are in the Pegasus galaxy, Ronon? They could have taken him anywhere. I've called up a list of the Ancient database that identifies all the planets that are under the control of the Wraith. I'm trying to calculate out some possible sites. But…" he sighed aloud, got up from his chair, picked up a book and threw it at the wall in frustration, "it's like looking for a needle in a haystack! There are too _many_ of them for me to even _guess _where they could have taken him!"

His uncharacteristic violent action startled Teyla and amused Ronon.

Ronon, who was seated with his arms folded across his chest, leaned forward and finally spoke.

"Then I say we try another option."

McKay turned, paused in his pacing and looked at the Satedan, his curiosity piqued. "What do you have in mind?"

The Satedan now grinned. "I say we catch ourselves a Wraith."

---

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The darkness receded and John Sheppard slowly made his way back into the world of consciousness. As awareness returned, he found himself floating comfortably in what appeared to be some sort of web-like sticky substance. It felt warm, pleasant, as if he was an embryo in a womb. He felt bodiless, with no sensation of his earlier wounds to cause him pain. Yet, that thought did not comfort him for he knew that it wasn't right; he knew that he was in trouble. With an effort of will, he opened his heavy eyelids, trying to focus on his surroundings. The sight before him confirmed one of his worse fears: he was in one of the Hive's food storage pods - his body trapped deep inside the alien webbing, making it almost impossible to move.

_Way to go, John! Get yourself fed upon and trapped in a Hive ship! How the heck are you going to get out of this one?! _He asked himself.

He remembered Rodney telling him about his experience in the storage cocoons when he and Ronon had been held prisoner on-board the Hive ship. He recalled hearing how Ronon had managed to escape from the alien webbing through sheer determination and brute force alone. All that effort so that he could get to his blade. But Ronon had a weapon with him to get free; Sheppard was unharmed, with no knife, and still suffering from the effects of the Wraith feeding. In addition, he was injured, bruised and battered. While the web-like material in the pod kept his injuries at bay, Sheppard still attempted to move, to struggle in an attempt to break free from the alien gooey binds that encased his body.

Soon he was breathing harshly, feeling twinges of pain invading the soothing warmth provided by the liquid of the alien webbing. It did not take him long to realise that he too weak; he could barely move much less escape from the storage cocoon that he was trapped in. His breathing increased and he began to feel light headed. He wondered whether he was hyperventilating like McKay. With a force of will, he tried to even out his breaths.

_Don't panic, John, you are NOT McKay! Rodney will find a way to track you down._ _You just need to buy your team some time, that's all. _He stabilised his breathing, refusing to panic. He felt weak and hazy; it was getting harder to remain awake. Despite trying to fight against the effects of the Wraith pod, the lull of the cocoon dragged his consciousness back into the dullness of sleep. His struggles ceased, his head fell forward and he knew nothing more.

---

"You want to what?" Weir asked, not sure that she liked the sound of the idea.

"Catch ourselves a Wraith, you heard us," McKay replied smugly.

"And how would this help?" Weir folded her arms together and raised an inquiring eyebrow.

McKay wondered where she had learnt that look from. Was she trying to imitate Spock?

"If we capture a Wraith, he might be able to tell us where Sheppard is." It was Ronon who replied. He had his hands clasped together as he leaned forward and shot Weir an uncompromising look.

A slight frown formed in between Weir's brows. "What guarantee do you have that even if we do manage to capture one, he'll divulge the information or even know where Sheppard is?"

"We don't," McKay's smug look faltered slightly. "But we have to do something; after all, this is Sheppard that we're talking about."

"We don't leave our people behind," this statement came from Ronon Dex.

"That is true," Teyla Emmagan noted calmly in agreement, her dark gaze piercing.

"I third that," Rodney replied, lifting his hand slightly.

Elizabeth was surprised and touched to hear those words from John's team. To hear it from the Satedan in particular was like hearing an echo from the past. Words that she had heard John Sheppard say many times over when he risked life and limp to go after his people, even if the situation seemed hopeless or desperate. The fact that his entire team had picked up on John's philosophy meant something; more so, due to the fact that two of them were aliens, not from Earth. John's team were more than his team now, they were all part of the Atlantis family, and Ronon was right, John would never abandon any of them. They, in turn, would never abandon him. Besides, Atlantis needed John Sheppard more than the man himself knew. So she nodded her agreement, giving those in front of her a smile.

"Okay, if you are proposing this, I take it that you have a plan? The last time we tried to capture a Wraith on purpose, it hadn't been easy; we had the Wraith transmitter hidden in Teyla's locket, it's something that we don't have now. And I'm not counting the time we caught the Wraith during the Atlantis siege; that happened on our ground."

"We know planets that are held by Wraith," Ronon said before Rodney could speak.

Weir shook her head, "No, we can't afford to invade a Wraith infested planet; it's too risky, even Sheppard would agree with me on that. It has to be on neutral territory, somewhere that gives us a fighting chance."

At Elizabeth's words, Carson cleared his throat and said, "I believe I might be able to assist with that, but I'll probably need Rodney's help with it."

---

Shattering pain awoke him and he found himself no longer in the Wraith storage cocoon but somewhere else.

Lying still, attempting to keep his breathing even despite the way his body felt, he forced himself not to move or make a sound as he did not wish to reveal to his captors that he was now awake. He remembered the Wraith capturing him, beating him up, and telling him that he would be sent to a Wraith research outpost on another planet. That last memory caused his heart rate to beat faster as he recalled Daffy mentioning his plan to use him for their experiments.

With his eyes still closed, he tried to remain calm, to reassess his current situation through his other senses. Perhaps his team managed to get to him in time; perhaps he was now back in Atlantis' infirmary. However, he knew that it was only wistful thinking – the chance of his team finding him so quickly would be a miracle that he could have used. _Stay calm John!_ _Things might not be as bad as it seems, _he silently instructed himself, as he became aware of alien smells that were very different from Carson's infirmary.

He was lying on something hard and smooth, an examining table or a bed, he wasn't certain. Something bright and extremely warm seemed to be shinning down on him, causing sweat to bead out from his body and flow like little rivulets on his skin. From the glare and the heat above, he envisioned a large spotlight or two currently beaming on his stretched out and prone body.

He realised that his shirt was missing, his boots and socks removed; he felt a draft of air moving in between his exposed toes. The familiar feel of the fabric of his trousers assured him somewhat that he was still clothed at least. His legs were arranged straight down and his wrists extended out to his side. However, there were tight shackles around his bare ankles and wrists; the metal felt uncomfortably hot against the intense glare shinning from the source above him. The fact that was he was bound tightly to whatever he was lying on, didn't bore well on him. Something solid and metal-like was also holding his head in place.

The sounds nearby attracted his attention; noises made by someone in the room. He sensed that whoever it was, they were standing close beside him. He almost jumped when he felt sharp talons and something invasive probing his body. They were examining his exposed chest that still throbbed painfully from the Wraith feeding. An odd mechanical whirling sound disturbed him. Then he felt something foreign, like a mechanical insect with six sharp legs being placed on top of his bare chest. It felt creepy, uncomfortable... _dangerous. _Whatever it was, it was moving and crawling on top of him, reaching towards the place close to his pounding heart. Against his will, his heart rate began to accelerate faster as he came close to panicking. His eyes still remained firmly shut; there was a part of him that did not wish to see what was about to be done to him. Perhaps if he remained still, they would not do what they intended to do to him. Not very logical, he knew, but it was the best he could do under the circumstances. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss.

However, whatever was on top of him must have sensed his fear, for without warning, his body suddenly exploded with searing agony as six projectiles stabbed deep into his flesh. Mind blowing pain filled his senses and he could not stop the scream from escaping his lips as his eyes snapped open. His back arched, his torso lifted and his arms and feet jerked violently against the restraints.

A scream of agony rippled from his throat. With his eyes wide open he saw something that vaguely resembled a rather large ugly-looking metal spider injecting six sharp cylinder type legs into his chest. Blood sprang from the wounds caused by the creature's legs, which were attached to six clear tubes, filled with various different coloured liquids that were currently being pumped into him. Whatever the liquids were, they seemed to burn his insides like hot molten lava, filling him with nothing but pain, pain and more pain! His brain screamed the words that he could not say and his vision began to grey out. His body convulsed and his hands jerked repeatedly at the shackles until they began to bleed. He struggled futilely to free himself but to no avail.

Then to his horror, through the blood roaring in his ears and his pain filled screams, he heard another odd sound on top of his chest. Focusing his gaze he saw the alien metal-like spider lift its centre body upwards. Below it, peaked another ugly looking round device like a tiny egg, but spiked with strange, long treadles. It lowered itself down onto the part of his chest close to his heart; it sat in the middle of where the alien liquids were being pumped into his system. He started to breathe harshly, his gaze flicked to stare helplessly into the gloating eyes of the Wraith who was doing this to him. He knew that the experiments had begun, but he didn't know their purpose or what they would do to him. Sharp pointed teeth grinned down at him, watching his fear and pain.

"The pain will be intense, human… soon, your suffering will begin in earnest, it is best not to fight it… or it will make it worse for you…"

Terror stricken, he watched as the alien spiked device, approximately half the size of a small marble, began to spin, faster and faster. Before he was prepared for it, it suddenly aimed downwards and began to burrow itself deep into his chest. Agony roared to life, racing with lightning speed through the cavity of his chest, spreading like wildfire straight towards his brain. Pain, explosive waves of pain as he had never experienced before flooded his system.

His senses were overloaded, he could do nothing else but scream in agony before unconsciousness came to claim him.

---

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Regaining consciousness for the fourth time wasn't easy. Pain washed through him in a nauseating wave, encompassing his entire body like a living, breathing, alien entity. He could not stop a weak groan from escaping his lips as his mouth reflexively opened and he gagged, throwing up some dark liquid on the ground beside him. At his action, agony instantly flared deep within him, making him gasp aloud and squeeze his eyes tightly shut as he tried to ease his pain by breathing through his mouth. With a hammering heart, feeling as if it was going to explode, he waited, remaining motionless until the pain subsided to a more bearable level. It was only when he could breathe a little more easily again that he tried to recall what had happened to him. And it was then, that he came to realise, that he had no memory of where he was or how he came to be in the situation that he was in.

He found himself lying on his side on a cold, dank floor that smelt worn, musty and mouldy. He was curled up like a ball, his hands wrapped loosely around his legs. He had been in enemy hands before to instantly recognise that he was in a cell; the only positive note about it was that he wasn't in chains. He was shirtless and he shivered from the dampness on his skin. Everything hurt: his ribs, his right thigh, his forearm, his wrists, his ankles, his face, his back and especially his chest - a burning, throbbing pain that refused to leave him alone. Even his insides hurt, like he was burning up alive; like there was something in his blood that shouldn't be there. His skin felt unnaturally hot and clammy, and he knew that he was suffering from some type of fever. His hands trembled and he felt both hot and cold at the same time; the sensation seemed to alternate as if his body could not decide what it was feeling.

He heard the sound of harsh breathing and it took him a moment to realise that it was his own. He felt weak, sick and dizzy. So he remained where he was, not moving, not wanting to stir a muscle for fear of igniting the pain and making it worse. Somehow an echo of some indescribable agony lingered in his memory. The shivers were gone now and perspiration began to break out from his body again. He wondered what was wrong with him.

"Wow, they really did a number on you, Sir. Looks like they messed you up pretty badly, Major, more so than they did me," A familiar voice spoke.

Sheppard cracked open his eyes; the feeling of wrongness pervaded. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong but he didn't know what yet. He tried to recall where he had heard that familiar voice before.

"_Ford?_" he finally uttered, remembering the young Lieutenant who had once been under his command. He looked up and saw Lt Aiden Ford looking casually down at him. The young man looked normal, like his old self, before he was partially fed upon by a Wraith and became addicted to an alien enzyme. That memory stirred something deep within him. Sheppard started to shiver again and he sensed another memory pressing at the tip of his mind, involving another Wraith and another feeding, but this time his mind shied away from it.

"Yeah, that's me, Major. Your good ol' weapons expert. Never leave your people behind, remember?" the young Lieutenant said flippantly.

As Ford spoke, his features suddenly changed, his visage became darker; the left side of his face morphed to be more insect-like to what he was after the Wraith feeding.

"Well, what about me? You left me behind, Sir. You left me in the Hive ship. You never came back for me, Major. You abandoned me. Where is your team now? I ask you, Sir. I say that they abandoned you, just as you abandoned me."

Sheppard's brows furrowed. "No," he refuted softly. "I tried to get you to come back with us to Atlantis, Ford, but you … you fought me every step of the way. Every time we met, you fought me… You didn't want to return with us, I came for you Ford, but you refused to follow me back. My team will come; we never leave our people behind…"

Ford looked down at him, shaking his head with disgust. His voice was cold. "You left me behind, Major. You forgot about me …"

As Sheppard watched the young man, his image suddenly wavered, changing into Dr Peter Grodin, the English scientist who had been killed by the Wraith at the Ancient satellite. Grodin now looked at him with unspoken grief in his dark eyes.

_"Ah, Sheppard, is that you?"_

"Peter?" Sheppard said, feeling confused; Peter Grodin was dead, this much he knew. Yet the voice seemed familiar but wrong somehow.

_"Ah, do you not know me? What have they done to you?"_

Sheppard frowned, of course he knew Grodin; what the man said didn't make sense. But before he could question the scientist further, Grodin's form faded away like a wind blown mirage in a desert sandstorm. John found himself alone once more in the dark cold cell. He stared at the empty wall, wondering what had just happened, wondering whether he was losing his mind. With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes. He was tired. If he was hallucinating Ford and Grodin, things couldn't be good. His hands now moved, slowly, painfully towards the source of his greatest hurt, to the centre of his chest. He was surprised to discover seven deep puncture wounds, with the one in the middle looking the worst. All seven wounds were still weeping blood and puss slightly. His frown deepened as he tried to recall what had happened. The image of a metal spider suddenly flashed into his mind and he shuddered, slamming shut the memory as if his mind could not handle it. Something bad had happened; that much he knew. He wasn't sure that he wanted to remember. Perhaps it was best that he didn't.

However, the question remained: where was he and why he was here? Where was his team? He worried about them and hoped that they were okay. His forearm and thigh also throbbed painfully as did his wrists. He looked at them; saw the stab wounds and marks of shackles on his bloodied wrists. From the damage on his wrists, he knew that he must have struggled violently against his restraints for they had torn the skin making ugly, bleeding wounds. Carson would be annoyed with him for doing that. What the heck had happened to him?

Slowly, forcing himself to breathe evenly, he carefully uncurled himself. He flinched and gritted his teeth at the hurt his body felt just by that slight movement alone. His limps still trembled intermittently as if he had the shakes. Feeling confused and disoriented, the thought came back to haunt him, '_Something is wrong, John, something is very wrong._'

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of soft chattering and the flapping of wings. Turning his head, he caught sight of a small, dark form whipping across the cell, carrying something shiny in its mouth. From the brief glimpse that he caught of it, he thought it might be some sort of bat, but it was unlike any normal bat that he had seen before. Its body was too long and did he also spy a cat-like tail? The creature flew across the floor and then headed upwards into one of the numerous small holes in the ceiling above. He wondered if there was any way out from there. When he was feeling a little better, he intended to do a closer examination of his cell. However, right now he was feeling too sore to breathe properly much less move.

Attempting to make himself a little more comfortable, he rolled over and gingerly laid his back on the cold floor while at the same time straightening his legs. Everything ached; everything throbbed painfully in synch with his still rapidly pounding heart. He wished that he could remember where he was. What had happened to bring him to such a predicament? But so far his memory remained evasive. Thank God he still knew who he was, at least that was something. The last memory he had was going to PX-3759 to check out a strong power source that the sensors had picked up. He seemed to recall something about blowing up a Wraith research facility and ordering his team to retreat back to the Stargate, but after that, everything else was a blank.

He sighed. Turning his head to the right, he noticed that a dirty plate had been placed on the floor beside him. On it was a tiny piece of hard mouldy bread with weird lumps on it. He could only guess that it was bread; it could have been anything for all he knew. Because it was on a plate, he figured that it was food or at least something edible. However, the sight of it made him nauseous again and he quickly turned his head away. The strange chemical smell of his earlier discharge on the floor next to him wasn't helping either. However, he knew that he couldn't afford to vomit; his ribs and chest hurt too much at the moment. From the list of injuries that he had, he knew that he could tally cracked ribs as one of them.

His gaze now roamed to study his current environment. For the first time, he noticed that there was no light source in the cell, yet for some odd reason, his eyesight seemed to be able to see quite well in the dark. He wondered about it; his eyes roaming to all corners of the room. He was in a small dark cell with three brick walls; a window with bars across it on two opposite sides of the wall, and bars at the front of his cell. It reminded him of his time in Kolya's cell and he shuddered at the memory. His hand subconsciously went back to the wounds on his chest. He realised that the pain he felt in his chest had an odd familiarity to it. It reminded him of how he felt after he had been fed upon by Kolya's Nameless Wraith. However, this time, he felt ten times worse. The thought worried him.

He extended his hands before his face and looked at them - they did not seem any older. He moved his hands to feel his face - it too did not feel any older; his skin still felt firm with no obvious wrinkles. If he had been fed upon, he figured that the Wraith didn't take many years from him. But as he didn't have any mirror with him, he couldn't tell without examining his face closer. He could only determine by the way he felt, and currently he felt like crap, which by itself wasn't a very good sign.

With a sigh, he closed his eyes; he needed to rest for a while. Perhaps, after some rest, he might feel better. He hoped that it might be the case; however, deep within him, he felt an unexplained burning sensation that radiated from his very being. He felt as if there was something happening inside him; that something was terribly wrong. He had an uncanny feeling that whatever it was, it was only the beginning of his troubles.

---

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Weir hurried down the lighted steps as the Stargate erupted to life. She didn't have to wait long as familiar figures appeared through the gate, striding animatedly forward. She knew that it wasn't good news by the fact that Beckett and McKay were currently in the middle of a heated argument. Ronon's head was down in frustration and Teyla tagged a few paces behind with a small frown on her normally calm features.

"It's not my fault that the damn thing didn't work!" argued McKay.

"Then whose bloody fault was it?" demanded Beckett. "We wasted several hours out there for nothing!"

"Oh yeah? And who butchered the transmitter when it was removed in the first place, huh?" retorted Rodney.

"It was a very delicate operation. Nobody told me that we would be needing it in good working condition when I was removing it from Ronon's back!" Carson shouted back.

"It's no one's fault, Carson, Rodney," Teyla finally tried to intervene calmly.

"But that still doesn't help Sheppard," Ronon growled. Without another word, the Satedan strode away with a fierce look in his eyes. Everyone in the Gate room quickly stepped aside as he left for his post-mission check-up.

Teyla sighed and shook her head, her dark eyes capturing Weir's gaze.

Elizabeth pursed her lips and crossed her arms together. She knew that the mission was a failure. The tension between her people was palpable. It wasn't that long ago when Sheppard had been a prisoner of Kolya and everyone knew what had happened to the colonel then. The memory of witnessing Sheppard being fed upon by the Wraith from the video broadcast that Kolya had transmitted was still fresh in everyone's minds. Although no one spoke of it, all knew that there was a strong possibility that Sheppard might suffer the same fate.

Major Lorne approached Weir, his face grim. "I'm afraid no Wraith showed up, ma'am."

"Somehow, I already figured that out, Major," Weir stated solemnly. "What happened?"

"The transmitter didn't work," replied Lorne.

"That's because Rodney didn't do his job properly!" This statement came from Carson Beckett. Elizabeth was surprised to hear the bitterness and blame in the doctor's voice. It was out of character for the Scottish doctor to act the way he did. Usually Rodney was the one who insulted his work colleagues, not Beckett, who was much gentler in nature.

At Carson's words, Rodney spluttered furiously. "Hey! You didn't give me much to work with! When you first removed the Wraith transmitter from Ronon's back, you practically butchered the device. It had already been intensively damaged; I had already told you this when you showed it to me. It's a miracle that I got it working in the first place!"

"Well, it's obviously _not _working properly, if it doesn't do what it's meant to do, Rodney!" Carson retorted back. "Bloody hell, we don't know what those Wraith buggers are doing to Colonel Sheppard at this very moment!"

There was a slight shrill of panic in the Scottish doctor's voice. Elizabeth suddenly realised what was making Beckett so agitated. For a brief time, he had been in a prisoner of the Wraith, Michael, and it hadn't been a pleasant experience for the Scottish doctor. Somehow that experience must be fuelling his concern for Sheppard's safety, not to mention the fact that they had all witnessed Sheppard's feeding at the hands of Kolya's Wraith not so long ago. She knew how Carson felt; they were all worried about Sheppard. It was almost twenty four hours since he went missing. Carson was not the only one worried and upset; she could sense the worried tension in McKay as well. In fact, everyone was terribly worried over Sheppard's well being – and the worst part was not knowing whether John was still alive or dead.

"Okay, calm down, gentlemen," she finally interceded, trying to ease the worried knot she felt in her own stomach. "So, I take it that the transmitter didn't work?"

Rodney shook his head. "No, no, it's not the transmitter, like I said, I fixed it."

Weir frowned. "Then what's the problem?"

"It's getting the right frequency. While I fixed the transmitter, the frequency needs to be adjusted properly. When Carson removed it from Ronon's back a few months ago, he wiped out the frequency setting. Unfortunately for us, trying to determine the correct frequency is the tricky part. There are literally hundreds of combinations to choose from. It'll be more of a case of trial and error in order to get the correct frequency!"

"I see," Elizabeth said, not liking the sound of this. "Well then gentlemen, I suggest that we try again until we get it right. Colonel Sheppard is counting on us. Beckett, you have two of these devices don't you?"

"Aye," the doctor replied.

Weir nodded. "Okay, so we sent out two teams. Rodney, get Dr Zelenka on another team. We start testing out different frequencies. Sooner or later, we'll hit the right one, and I'm counting on sooner, people, rather than later."

---

The feeling of soft fur rubbing against his face jolted him awake. Opening his eyes, he saw a small furry creature standing close beside him, trying to pull off one his dog tags while nibbling at it in the process. The chain however stopped the little thief from getting away with its prize. As soon as the bat-like creature saw that he was awake, it dropped the dog tag and looked at Sheppard warily. Large beady gleaming eyes blinked at him cautiously. He wondered whether the creature thought his dog tags was some kind of food or whether it was only attracted to shinning metal of the aluminium. Perhaps both, he wasn't sure.

Staying still and lying where he was, he could now study his little companion more closely. He realised that it had a face of a chipmonk's not a bat's. It also had a longish body very similar to a ferret's, four little feet and a cat-like tail. Its fur appeared dark brown but it was difficult to tell in the dark cell; Sheppard wondered whether its coat was coarse or soft to the touch. The folded wings at its side attracted Sheppard's attention. Up close, he realised that it looked more like elegant eagle wings rather than bat wings. The creature fascinated him; he had never seen anything like it before. Ever since he was a kid, he had always been fascinated by any living creature that could fly: finding one in the Pegasus galaxy was no exception.

"Hey there little guy…" Sheppard said softly as he greeted the strange creature. The raw hoarseness of his voice unsettled him. It sounded weak, fragile, so unlike his normal voice. It also startled the little creature, making it squeak loudly. Expanding its wings, it flew a short distance to land a few paces away from him. He came to realise that the back of his throat felt raw – like he had been screaming his lungs out. In all likelihood, perhaps he had.

A disturbing memory stirred within him: of being in chains, in terrible pain, burning in agony as something dreadful was being done to him. His heart rate instantly started to pound painfully in his chest. He gave a soft groan, his hand covering protectively over his sore chest. A second later the memory receded, as if it was part of a forgotten nightmare. Breathing and perspiring heavily now, it was his turn to blink as he wondered where that flashback had come from. Not liking to contemplate its source, he turned his attention back to the alien creature that was still eyeing him warily.

"Sorry about that little fella, I didn't mean to startle you. Here, if you're after food, have this…" he forced his aching body to move and tore a small piece of mouldy bread left on the plate nearby with his fingers. There wasn't much of it and he realised that his little friend must have eaten some of it when he was still asleep. He wondered whether it had been eating it halfway when it became distracted by the dog tags hanging round his neck. However, as he wasn't hungry anyway, he extended his hand and offered the piece to his furry cell mate.

The winged creature gazed up at him. Sheppard saw its little nose twitching eagerly at the smell of the offered treat.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Sheppard said encouragingly. "It's yours if you want it."

It took the little creature a few minutes to decide whether it was going to trust the hand that was attempting to feed it. It gave Sheppard a few more blinks, released another soft chirping sound before fluttering its wings, flying cautiously forward, to land closer to the hand that held out the titbit. Curious gleaming eyes of gold blinked at him, scrutinising him further. Then as if making up its mind, it took a quick dash forward, opened its mouth, while standing on its hind legs and snatched the little morsel from Sheppard's fingers with its front paws and sharp teeth. As soon as it got the crumb, it scurried back a few paces away and began crewing hungrily on its food.

"You must be a hungry little fella. Don't suppose you find much food around here, huh?" Sheppard observed. "Well, seeing that you're my dinner guest, I suppose you need a name. Let's see, what shall I call you?" He eyed the little creature that was munching its meal before him. "Hmm… How about _Snacks_? Seeing that you like eating so much?"

Snacks looked up at him, nibbling away at the piece of alien bread while constantly darting cautious looks at him. Content to see that Sheppard wasn't about to do anything threatening, it went back to its meal and quickly consumed it in a few hungry bites. Getting a bit braver now, Snacks twitched its little nose and used its front paws to clean its whiskers and face, reminding John of how a cat liked to clean itself after a meal. When it was done, it looked at Sheppard, then at the plate near him. With a flutter of wings, it suddenly flew and landed close to Sheppard, towards the remaining piece of mouldy bread that lay on the plate. With a quick turn of its head, it grabbed it and flew off, landing a little further ahead, to eat it safely.

Unthinking, Sheppard laughed at Snack's audacity. "Hey! What if I wanted that?"

However, as soon he said those words, his breath suddenly hitched and he bit back a painful groan, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as the act of laughing caused sharp pain to spike deep within him. When the pain finally subsided again, he opened his eyes to see Snacks darting a little closer towards him, looking up at him as if in concern. It gave him a little chirp when it saw him looking at it.

He gave his new friend a wry smile. "I'm okay," he said, wondering why he was speaking to a strange alien winged creature as if it understood him. "Perhaps, _Greedy _might be a more appropriate name for you, Snacks," he finally whispered, still slightly breathless from his sudden attack. "But I think I shall still call you Snacks nonetheless…"

Snacks nodded, gave him a cheerful squeak now as if it approved of the name. Sheppard saw that part of its long catlike tail also seemed to wag almost as if to say: 'Thank you'.

Sheppard smiled. "You're welcome, Snacks."

When Snacks finished its meal, it scurried off to one of the side walls where there was a small hole and disappeared inside it. Finding himself alone in the cell again, Sheppard discovered that he missed Snacks' presence and his thoughts turned back towards his team, worrying about them. He didn't know whether his team had been captured or whether they were out somewhere, looking for him. He preferred to think of the latter, for his memory stopped when he had ordered his team back to the Stargate.

"They must be okay," he whispered softly to himself. "My team will come for me; we don't leave our people behind…" He stated the last sentence a little louder, with more belief in his voice.

In the quietness of his cell, he suddenly heard a low guttural chuckle sound from the adjoining cell.

_"Ah, Sheppard, I see that you still believe that your people will come for you…"_

He froze, startled, instantly recognising the voice. It sounded familiar, way too familiar. It was a voice that invaded his dreams after he had been captured by Kolya. Sheppard lifted his head, forcing himself to sit up, grunting in pain at the effort as he held on tightly to his chest and ribs. Soon he had his back leaning against the wall. There was an eerie sense of déjà vu and he had the prickling sensation of goose bumps on his skin.

"You know, we really must stop meeting like this," he finally stated wearily.

A familiar chuckle echoed from the other side of the adjoining cell.

---

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Ah, Sheppard, I see you recognised my voice this time," the nameless Wraith said.

Sheppard frowned. "You spoke to me before?"

"Yes, but you were not well. You called me Peter..."

"Oh," Sheppard said, disturbed by this piece of news. "I … er … kinda saw someone else. Think I spaced out a little."

There was a moment's pause from the other side of the cell before the Wraith finally spoke again. "What did they do to you, Sheppard?"

Sheppard frowned, trying to think back and reaching a blank wall. There was a darkness there that his mind didn't want to recollect.

"I don't remember," he finally admitted. "Whatever it was, I don't think it was anything good."

Another low chuckle rumbled from the adjoining cell. "That much is obvious, Sheppard. They will come back for you…"

"My team? Yeah, sure they will." Sheppard replied, misunderstanding the Wraith.

"No, I do not speak of your people but of the Wraith that holds you prisoner here."

That didn't sound good, but at least now he knew for certain that he was captured by the Wraith. He had suspected before but wasn't a hundred percent certain. His hand went once again to the wounds on his chest. He felt weak, dizzy and suddenly cold; he shivered. He wished that he could have his shirt back again. He sensed movement on the other side of the cell, and through the darkness, he saw a familiar head looking through the cell window eyeing him closely. It made him shudder, recalling the memory of his time in Kolya's cell. He also recalled their last words spoken to each other on that Wraith planet where he had left it: _Next time we meet all bets of off_.

"So, if they're Wraith, why are you here? Aren't these your people?" he finally asked, grimacing as he leaned his head back against the wall. Curiosity now stirred within him.

The Wraith moved; he could now hear it pacing. "They are Wraith, but they are not my brethren. Like I said before Sheppard, there is much that you do not know about Wraith. The ones that hold us prisoners belong to another fraction from my fellow Wraith. You could say that I do not approve of what they do."

It was Sheppard's time to give a dry chuckle. "Somehow, I already figured that out, given that you are stuck on the other side of this cell. So, why are you here?"

"I was send here and I was caught," came the vague response.

"Care to elaborate?" Sheppard asked, closing his eyes for a moment and wishing that he didn't feel like crap.

"Perhaps later," the Wraith replied.

"Okay, so where are we?" Sheppard asked, opening his eyes and looking around again. "Somehow this place doesn't really scream 'Wraith' at me."

The Wraith suddenly moved away from the cell window; there were further sounds as if it now sat down on the far corner of the cell.

"They come," it said ominously before going silent.

Sheppard tensed, instinctively knowing that the Wraith didn't want the others to know that they had spoken or even knew each other. He turned to face the cell door. A Wraith approached the door holding a young woman by his side. He looked at Sheppard, noting with pleasure that the prisoner was now awake. Without preamble, he opened the cell door and shoved the woman roughly inside.

The woman gasped as she fell to the ground. Sheppard was instantly on his feet as he stumbled to help the woman up. The Wraith gave them both a low rumbled laugh, flicked on a light switch that flooded the cell with blinding brightness, before slamming the door, locking it and walking away.

The woman clutched tightly to Sheppard's upper right arm, making him wince painfully. Her frightened grip felt strong enough to cut off the oxygen supply from his arm.

"Hey, it's okay, you can let go now," he assured her.

The woman looked up, dark eyes wide as she nodded, breathing harsh and fast as she slowly eased the death grip that she had on him. He tried to give her a smile but wasn't sure how successful he was. However, she seemed to respond to it as she returned a tentative smile of her own.

"I'm Katrall," his new cell mate introduced herself. She appeared young, in her early twenties perhaps.

"Hi," Sheppard replied, wondering why the Wraith had placed her in his cell. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, but she did not move away from him. A little uncomfortable at their close proximity, he slowly eased himself away from her to lean back against the wall. He was well aware of the nameless Wraith next door listening in on their conversation. He was also aware that he was shirtless and cold. To his discomfort, the young woman slid closer towards him as if seeking the reassurance of his presence. He wondered whether she knew the concept of personal space.

"So, do you know where we are?" he finally asked. Perhaps this girl would be able to give him information about their whereabouts.

Katrall eyed him with wide eyes. "On my people's planet. The Wraith came, they killed my people, took us prisoners. But I have not seen you before… You are not from around here?"

Sheppard gave a nod. "No, you could say I'm new."

"Where are you from?" she asked, dark eyes suddenly curious.

Sheppard looked up at her. This was beginning to feel all too familiar and a small disturbed frown began to form between his brows. From the corner of his eye, Sheppard spotted Snacks poking its little head out to look at them curiously. Obviously their voices must have drawn the winged creature out from its hidey hole. He could see its nose twitching as if wondering whether there was more food at hand.

"Uh, do you mind if we continue this some other time? I'm not feeling too good at the moment."

For the first time Katrall seemed to notice his wounds.

"Oh! You're injured!" she gasped in horror. Her eyes widened and she moved to stroke the wounds on his chest. Sheppard drew back, reaching out to halt her hands from touching him.

"No, I'm okay. Just… leave it alone," he gritted out.

Her hands sank back to her sides, her gaze curious and questioning now. "How did you get them?" she asked, noting towards his chest wounds.

Sheppard looked down at them and shook his head wryly. "Would you believe me if I said I don't remember?"

Katrall gave him an unreadable smile. "I will believe anything that you tell me," she replied cloyingly, gazing at him in a way that was totally inappropriate.

Sheppard decided to ignore that last look. Alarm bells were now jangling in his head.

"So, if we are on your people's planet, why do your people have prison cells? Is this a dungeon? Do you have many criminals that you need locking up?" Sheppard asked, trying to ignore the fact that Katrall had reached out a hand to fondle his left ear. McKay would be accusing him of being like Kirk if he could see the two of them now. But this time, fraternising was the furthest thing from his mind. However, thoughts of the scientist made him look at Katrall again as he pushed her hand away. He saw a flash of hurt and anger sweep through her dark eyes, before vanishing quickly.

Noticing that the girl didn't answer his latest questions, he pushed on with another one.

"Do you know of others like me also imprisoned here?" he asked. Perhaps she might be able to tell him where his team was.

"No," she replied. "As far as I know, you are the only one whom I've seen here." She looked disturbed now, eying their surroundings. "Do you think we'll be able to get out of here?"

"Yeah, I'm sure we will; just give me some time to come up with an escape plan. It'll be impressive too. Do you have anything on you? A knife, hairpin - any sort of sharp instrument?" he asked.

She shook her head. Her eyes once again roamed to the wounds on his chest, staring at them curiously. Dark pools of eyes gazed up at him. "Please let me treat your wounds, Kirk, before the Wraith returns."

Hazel green eyes shot up towards her. "What did you just call me?" His heart started to pick up pace. His suspicions about her were starting to pan out.

A puzzled frown crossed her brows. "Kirk? Isn't that your name?" she asked innocently.

"I didn't mention it," he answered warily, studying her and wondering whether she had any weapon hidden on her.

"I … I think I must have heard the Wraith mention your name when I was being brought to your cell," she finally added.

Sheppard frowned. So, the Wraith thought he was called Kirk. If Rodney heard that, he would probably have a field day and he would never hear the end of it. He was glad that he hadn't told her his name when they first met. A flash of memory suddenly struck him: of him being in chains, defying a Wraith… he seemed to recall calling it _Daffy_. He remembered the Wraith punching him in the gut; stabbing him in the thigh... but that was all; he could not recall anymore. He winced, looking now at his bloody pants where the stab wound was. So that was how he got it.

"James Kirk. Isn't that your name?" she asked him.

Sheppard smiled. "Yeah, but why it is I get the feeling that you are lying to me?"

Hazel green eyes did not waver from her gaze now. She looked uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"I am not lying to you," she finally replied. "Please, Kirk, tell me where you're from... What's the name of your homeworld? If you don't, the Wraith said that they would kill my family!"

Her voice turned desperate, pleading even. Yet, somehow he didn't believe her. At that moment, another memory resurfaced. It was good timing. Capturing her gaze, he replied, "Disney world. It's called Disney world."

Her face changed from pleading to furious rage, and her lovely features turned ugly with hatred.

"You _will _tell me where you're from! You _will_ give the Wraith what they want!" she shrieked out angrily at him. Suddenly she was slamming against him, biting and scratching his arms, hitting the wounds on his chest with her fists as she lost all control and began demanding answers from him.

Sparks of pain exploded from the unexpected assault; he was knocked back to the ground, and felt her thick boots kicking violently at his midriff. Bursts of pain expanded from his cracked ribs. Crying out, his arms moved, trying to protect his ribs from receiving further damage as black spots began to dance before his eyes. In any normal circumstance, he would have easily fought back, but now, weakened and in pain, he found it hard to defend himself from the vicious kicks. There was a blur of motion, a small animal's shriek and something flew in the air. Eagle like wings batted against the woman, claws extended and Katrall started to scream out as a small furry, winged creature began to attack her with its sharp claws and teeth.

While she was distracted, trying to knock down Snacks with her fists, Sheppard managed to stagger to his feet. Despite the waves of pain that now plummeted at him, threatening to bring him down, he swung out and punched her hard in the face before she could hurt his new little winged friend. As her limp body fell to the floor, he heard the sound of his cell door opening and someone rushing in. Before he could turn around to defend himself, he felt something hard hit him at the side of his head. Like a rock, he dropped to the ground; his last sight was of Snacks flying away to hide in one of many the holes on the ceiling above. He expelled a breath and succumbed to the darkness that called his name.

----

* * *

**Chapter 8**

There were voices speaking around him. At first they were muffled and he could ignore them, but the closer he arrived back to the world of the living, the clearer the voices became.

"…The human bleeds, if you do not allow me to treat him, he will die."

He recognised that voice. It was a voice that haunted his nightmares; a voice that was both friend and foe.

"Then he will die! This is no concern of yours!"

The second male voice he did not recognise. He wondered whether it belonged to the person who had struck him from behind.

"Ah, but would your masters be pleased with that?" the familiar voice spoke from the adjoining cell. "They want him for their experiments, do they not? That means that they want him alive."

"He _hit_ me!" An outraged female voice replied. "I say we _let_ him die!"

He felt her kick him viciously, making him moan and curl up to protect his already injured midriff.

"That is not for you to decide, human, but that of your masters." The tone of the nameless Wraith was mildly chiding. "Perhaps, you should ask them about it."

Amidst his pain, it amused Sheppard to think that even though the Wraith was a prisoner, it still reprimanded its jailers. The Wraith had more fighting spirit now than when it was a prisoner in Kolya's cell.

"We do not disturb our masters over matters as trivial as this," replied a man's voice coldly.

"If not then allow me to treat him. After all, do you not worship my kind?"

Sheppard did not hear the response to the Wraith's suggestion for at that moment someone (he suspected the woman Katrall) gave him another kick that sent him spiralling into darkness.

---

He felt rough hands on his chest, lifting his torso as something soft was wrapped round his chest. He cringed, releasing a soft moan, wanting nothing else but to move away from the pain his body was experiencing. Suddenly he felt nauseous, his breath hitching; he gagged as something warm and horrible bubbled up his throat. Rough hands quickly turned him to the side, allowing him to discharge the contents from his body. Opening his eyes, he was alarmed to note that the colour of his vomit was unlike anything he had seen before. Its hue was dark green, almost black, and it smelt really bad too. After he had finished, he felt slightly better. The rough hands laid him down on his back again, allowing him to rest for a while.

When he was ready to face the world again, Sheppard looked up to see the familiar greenish face of the nameless Wraith bending over, examining him closely. It was studying him in a manner that spoke of concern. However, the sight of the Wraith crouching so close set his heart racing and nervous perspiration broke out from his skin. After all, he still did not know whether it was friend or foe. A furrow formed at the top of his forehead.

"Lay still and do not speak, Sheppard. Now that you have discharged more of the _xyethar_, you should feel better in a little while." The voice that spoke to him was soft and low as if not wanting the others to hear its words.

Sheppard had only enough strength to give the Wraith a nod of acknowledgement. Amidst his discomfort and the pounding beat of his heart, he was finding it difficult to form any coherent thought. The side of his head hurt and he remembered being hit there earlier. He wondered whether there was a bump on his head the size of an egg for it certainly felt like it. That would explain the vicious headache that he currently had.

"I managed to convince the others to allow me to treat your wounds in private. However, if we converse too loudly, they will hear us. I can only bandage your wounds nothing more."

"I thought we decided that all bets were off?" Sheppard was surprised by the sound of his voice; he sounded weak and croaky.

The Wraith gave him a low chuckle. "So we did. Do you still wish it to be so, Sheppard?"

Sheppard thought about it and gave the Wraith a wane smile. He finally shook his head and instantly regretted the action when his vision dimmed and his surroundings started to spin alarmingly. It took a few long moments before the world settled back down again.

"So why are you doing this?" He was puzzled. After their last encounter, they didn't owe each other any favours. All bets were off. Yet, despite everything that had happened, he was glad that the Wraith was here with him. In some inexplicable way, he was beginning to trust this particular Wraith. Even if it wasn't necessary a friend, perhaps they were allies, an uncommon ally of sorts - one that resulted from a unique set of circumstances found only in the Pegasus Galaxy. After all, he was unlikely to forget a Wraith that had first taken and then given back his life.

"My reasons," the Wraith replied vaguely, "are my own."

As the Wraith finished bandaging his chest, it paused to study Sheppard intensely for a silent moment. Sheppard felt the first stirrings of alarm when he detected an alien presence touch the edge of his mind; it reminded him uneasily of his encounter with the Wraith queen aboard the Hive ship. Before he could react, the presence swiftly retreated and faded away. However, to Sheppard's growing apprehension, the Wraith suddenly placed its feeding hand at the centre of his chest now covered with bandages. All thoughts of trusting this Wraith flew out the window as Sheppard's eyes widened in panic. Cold dread rushed into his gut, sending shudders through him as he tried to pull back and escape from the hand that trapped him. An overpowering fear gripped him as memories of being fed upon by this particular Wraith invaded his mind.

The Wraith seemed to sense his terror and it soon lifted its feeding hand away from his chest, giving him a somewhat apologetic smile.

"You have been fed upon," it concluded, "They will want to know who gave you the Gift of Life. You must not tell them."

Sheppard felt his heart skip a beat and an icy coldness swept through him at the revelation. Somehow he had suspected it from the moment he had woken up in the cell. He wondered how many years of his life the Wraith had consumed. He didn't feel that old and from the look of his hands, he suspected not much. Still, the thought of being fed on again was horrifying. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut wanting to reject what he had just heard, his mind screaming in futile denial. _No! No! No! No!_ His mental cries intermixed with the painful pounding of his racing heart.

He did not know how long he was in that rigid, tensed state, but he eventually calmed down enough to accept what had happened. Ice cold dread was now replaced by the fires of red hot anger. He could not change the past but he could make the most of the present. Escape from his current predicament was now in the forefront of his mind. He vowed that he would not be fed upon again. Breathing heavily, he opened his eyes to look down at the dirty bandages wrapped round his chest. He recalled what he had seen under it. He also knew that the puncture holes he had seen on his chest were more than just the result of a Wraith feeding.

"What else?" he finally whispered. He had to know and he knew that the Wraith would be able to tell him. Although his voice was weak, his gaze was strong; it never wavered from the Wraith's face.

The Wraith eyed him for long moment, reading the flames of anger and determination written on his rigid form. It gave him a nod of approval as its hands moved to treat the wound at the side of his head, placing some yellow powdered paste at the site of broken skin. Sheppard winced. The Wraith's ministrations were efficient but not gentle. However whatever it was that the Wraith was using seemed to stop the bleeding.

"They have started the experiments on you." The answer was abrupt.

Sheppard's gaze leaped up towards the Wraith's face. At hearing those words, the image of a large metal spider creature suddenly flashed through his mind. Sheppard jerked forward and felt the Wraith's firm hand on his shoulder, grounding him, easing the terror and uncontrollable shudders that wracked his body. He suddenly felt nauseous and the Wraith helped him to his side once again to heave convulsively but nothing much came out the second time. When he finished, he looked up and saw Snacks peeking out from one of the numerous ceiling holes above. Its beady eyes stared at him curiously. Despite everything that had happened, a small smile crept at the corner of his lips. He was glad that Snacks hadn't been harmed by Katrall. The Wraith might be an uncertain ally, but Snacks, he felt he could trust, even if it was a little thief that liked to steal his food.

The Wraith moved and helped him sit up now. Sheppard's gaze flicked from Snacks back to the Wraith. The Wraith was looking at him with an undetermined gaze. Sometimes, this one was hard to read.

"Remember Sheppard," it warned, "whatever happens to you, do not reveal who gave you the Gift of Life."

"Why?" he had to ask. He wasn't intending to reveal anything to anyone, but he wondered why it was so important to the Wraith. This Wraith after all did not strike him as a coward.

The Wraith chuckled softly. "You humans are forever questioning things that you do not understand," it observed. "Let's just say that it would be for the best for both of us."

Sheppard pursed his lips together. "Okay, you have my word."

The Wraith gazed at him in silence once more. Then it nodded and the feral lips curved upwards in a smile.

"I believe that your word, Sheppard, is good enough."

---

To be continued


	2. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
** by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 9**

Sheppard heard the sound of his cell door opening and saw two humans enter to glare down at him and the Wraith. The first one was a stocky man with thick red hair wearing a long light grey robe; the second, the young woman, Katrall who had been placed in his cell earlier.

"You finished seeing to his wounds?" the man asked, throwing a dark bundle at Sheppard. The colonel noticed that it was his black t-shirt and jacket rolled together. After feeling cold and exposed, he was glad to have back his clothes.

"Yes," replied the Wraith as it stood up and faced the Wraith worshippers.

"Good," the man observed as he led the Wraith back to its cell.

Katrall remained standing above Sheppard eyeing him darkly. He noticed the disdain and anger written on her features and he could sense the tight tension and desire to hurt him radiating from her slim body. As it was, a black left eye was quickly forming from the punch that she had received earlier. But she had been attacking him: biting, scratching and kicking him while he lay injured on the ground. He had painful scratches on his arms as testimony to her violence. Despite being a little uncomfortable that he had to hit her to knock her out, he didn't regret his action.

She suddenly turned and spat on him. Sheppard barely flinched as the spittle splashed on the side of his face; he made sure that he displayed no emotion as he stared calmly back at her. He knew that nothing was more maddening to a woman than not acknowledging what she had done to him. Feeling reckless, he returned her 'gift' with a small smirk instead. He sensed her steaming anger and wondered whether she would kick him again but at that moment, her male companion returned from locking up the Wraith in the cell. He saw the look that Katrall gave Sheppard and quickly gripped her arm to stop her from doing anything rash. Sheppard knew that he had got under her nerves and he felt an immense sense of satisfaction. After all, this was a Wraith worshipper sent to get information from him. If he couldn't fight back, the least he could do was to annoy her. He had learnt that technique well from one Dr Rodney McKay.

The man looked at him dispassionately as he nudged Katrall out of the cell. "It's not our place to punish this one, Katrall. The masters will see to him but you must report what you've learnt back to the worshipped ones."

There was a click of the cell door being locked again. As they started down the prison corridor, Sheppard heard Katrall hiss back an angry retort to her companion. "He told me _nothing!_"

The man barked out a deprecating laugh. "Is that why you're so angry with him, Katrall? That you couldn't get a man to fall for your womanly charms?"

Sheppard didn't manage to hear her response to that query as their voices faded away in the distance. It was a shame as he would have liked to have heard her answer. And to think that McKay liked to call him Kirk, the dry thought formed: Rodney would have been surprised.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sheppard moved, unrolling his t-shirt and struggled to put it on after a little swearing. He discovered that with cracked ribs, putting on a t-shirt was a feat in itself. The sweating had stopped and he was feeling cold again, so he also donned on the jacket, but the effort left him feeling exhausted as he shifted and leaned his head back against the cell wall.

He looked up at the ceiling again hoping to catch a glimpse of Snacks. He smiled when he spied a cat-like tail dangling out from one of the ceiling holes. He wondered whether there was a way to get the winged creature's attention without the attraction of food. Pursing his lips together, he gave a shrill whistle – a bird call that he had learnt as a kid. His Scout master had taught it to him when he was a young boy - one that seemed to attract wild birds. Instantly there was a kind of shuffling sound above him as if the little winged creature was attempting to turn its body around to the other side. The long tail quickly disappeared and to Sheppard's surprise, Snacks' head popped out from another hole instead, looking at him curiously – so perhaps the hole was too small for the creature to do a 180 turn.

Sheppard felt pleased that the bird call worked on Snacks. At least now he knew how to call the creature to him if he needed company. Nothing was worse than sitting in a dark and dingy cell by one's self. While he had the Wraith on the other side of the cell to converse with, he still took comfort in Snacks' presence. Instinctively, his hand went into his jacket pocket, wondering whether the Wraith had left the two PowerBars there that McKay had given him. He smiled when his hands felt them. Taking one out, he tore it open and took a bite from it. Even though he wasn't feeling hungry at the moment, he knew that he had to keep his strength up. He saw Snack stretch its little head out further, looking hopefully at him as he started to chew on the PowerBar.

"You already had your meal, Snacks. I'd like to think that this is mine," he teased his little friend.

Snacks continued to look at him with its beady eyes. Then it opened its mouth and gave out a soft forlorn cry. Sheppard's resolve cracked; he could stand up to torture or interrogation, but one thing he couldn't stand was having a small animal give him that sad, beady-eyed puppy dog look. When it came to animals, such as puppies, dogs and any cute or noble flying creature, he had a soft spot in his heart. However, the last person in the two galaxies that he didn't want to reveal this to was McKay: to do so meant he would get a lot of ribbing from the scientist and never hear the end of it. Besides, Snacks had saved him from Katrall's attack, so he figured that it deserved some sort of reward in exchange.

Peeling a piece out from his PowerBar, he threw it onto the air. "Here you go, Snacks, just don't tell Rodney that I caved in to your begging."

Instantly Snacks swooped down from its position to swiftly catch the piece of PowerBar gracefully in mid-air before landing across the cell floor to chew contently on the titbit. Its little catlike tail wagged furiously like a dog's. Sheppard smiled as he tore up the used wrapping and kept the remaining PowerBar back into his pocket. If what his jailers had served him for a meal was any indication, then he'll need to reserve the PowerBar for later. Besides, the little bit of PowerBar that he had consumed was settling in his stomach rather uneasily, making him feel slightly nauseas. Sheppard stayed still and swallowed carefully not wanting to bring up the contents of his stomach again. He crushed up the piece of PowerBar paper and threw it on the floor.

Snacks head came up at the sight of the shiny paper landing on the floor. Swallowing the last remaining piece of PowerBar, eagle-like wings expanded and Snacks lifted off the ground to catch the crumbled paper in its mouth before flying back to one of its many hidey holes above to disappear into it. Sheppard observed Snacks antics with interest; a thought forming in his mind.

"You like shiny things, Snacks?" he whispered to his new winged friend.

Wanting to test out his theory, his hands went to his pants pocket, searching for a coin that he kept in there. Although they rarely needed to use coins in Atlantis, he usually kept a quarter with him in his pocket out of habit. Finding it, he studied its shiny surface for a brief moment. He looked up at the ceiling and gave out another whistle. It wasn't long before there was the tiny pit-patter of movement above him: Sheppard saw Snacks poke its head out from a different hole this time. _Interesting_, he thought, noting that whatever tunnels Snacks travelled through in the ceiling must be interconnected somehow.

Lifting his hand, Sheppard tossed the coin across the floor. As expected, it gave an excited chirp as Snacks flew out from the hole and zoomed for the shiny silver quarter, scooping it up with its mouth and exiting back into the hole with its shiny treasure.

"So, you're not only a little food thief but a hoarder as well," Sheppard observed mildly with a laugh.

"It is called a _Talgelra_, considered more of a pest by those who live here." The nameless Wraith from the adjoining cell spoke up. "You are a strange one, Sheppard; most of the humans here, including the Wraith, would be the first to try to kill it. You befriend it instead."

Sheppard's mouth curved upwards slightly at the Wraith's observation but he did not reply as he rose to his feet a little shakily. Now that his wounds were bandaged and he had a little food in his belly (even though it was only one bite from a PowerBar), he felt slightly better. The nausea had eased back down, which was a good thing. He stood up and limped slightly to the wall that separated him from the nameless Wraith. When he reached the cell window, he looked through it to see the Wraith sitting on the floor with its back leaning against the wall. The Wraith said nothing as he looked in on it.

"So, how long have you been here?" he asked the Wraith curiously.

The Wraith looked up at him from the shadows of its cell. "Much too long for my liking."

Sheppard gave it a tentative chuckle, recalling a similar conversation not too long ago in another cell on another world. "That long huh? So, would it be long enough to know your way out of here?"

There was movement in the other cell as it sat up straighter, its eyes staring intently at Sheppard. "Are you planning on escape, Sheppard?"

Sheppard shrugged. "Well, we've done it before. I don't see why we shouldn't do so again." He looked away from the window back towards his cell.

"The two humans will inform the others that you are better." There was a moment of silence. "They did not seem to like you."

Sheppard laughed, not at all fazed by that comment. "You think? Must be my pleasant personality."

Another low chuckle rumbled from the Wraith before it stopped abruptly. "In a few hours, perhaps sooner, Sheppard, the Wraith will come for you again. They will take you back to their labs for more experiments. If you wish to escape, you should try to do it before that happens."

The Wraith words of experiments resulted in a tight knot forming at the pit of his stomach. He _really _didn't like the sound of that. He barely remembered what they had done to him the last time. From the random flashes of memory that he received, he knew that it was nothing good and he wasn't sure that he wanted to remember.

"I fear it would be worse," continued the Wraith.

"You don't say-" Sheppard quipped with a frown, looking around his cell wondering whether there was anything that he could use to escape.

"You will grow weaker each time and soon you will not be able to escape them without dying first."

"Then we'll have to find a way to escape before that happens," Sheppard declared not liking what he heard at all.

The Wraith lifted up its head. "You have a plan, Sheppard?"

"I'll come up with one. And like what I told Claysna before, it'll be impressive too," he stated confidently even though at the moment a plan had yet to form in his mind.

He moved away, his mouth pursed worriedly as he looked up towards the ceiling, trying to examine the numerous small holes that were scattered above him. He noted that the entire cell was made of stone. The dark ceiling holes above looked a bit like little tunnels in a cave. They were the size slightly larger than his fist: big enough to fit Snack's furry little body and folded wings, but way too small for a human to use for escape. He wondered what could have caused such holes, whether it was naturally formed or made by some other means.

Curious now, his gaze scanned the floor wondering whether he could use anything to stand on to examine the holes closer. There was nothing: no rock, no chair, no even a bed that he could push to reach the ceiling. He turned back to the window, looking at the Wraith again.

"My people will come for me. Perhaps we could…"

He did not complete his sentence as intense pain suddenly griped his heart like a fist squeezing it tightly. He chocked out a gasp, dropping to the floor like a rock as he tried to control his breathing and the painful pounding of his heart.

"Sheppard?" he heard the Wraith call his name from the other side of the cell. There were sounds of it moving closer to the window.

One hand now rested on the cold cell floor as he shut his eyes tightly, feeling perspiration bead from his forehead. The pain was intense, making him wonder whether he was suffering from a heart attack or a seizure. Everything started to white out when suddenly the pounding of his heart eased up and he felt unexpected strength surge through his body.

_What the hell's happening to me?! _His mind screamed, feeling confused and frightened at the same time. It was then that he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"They have come for you sooner than I expected, Sheppard." The Wraith observed before moving away from the window to sit back on the floor again on the opposite side.

"Great!" he muttered, feeling alarmed by his body's strange reactions and the fact the Wraith was now approaching. He racked nervous fingers through his unruly hair. However, at least he felt better, stronger and more alive than a few seconds ago. He supposed he should count his blessings for it. A little shakily, he got up to his feet to face the cell door. The footsteps approached louder. It was almost as if he could smell the approach of the Wraith. His heart started to accelerate with sudden anticipation and he felt a strange feeling of wanting to approach the Wraith. A frown lighted on his brows; he couldn't seem to explain the feeling that he had. However, he didn't have to wait long before two Wraith guards entered his cell.

"Move," one of them said.

"Where to?" he asked warily. "I kinda like it here."

He knew that it would be safer to stay in his cell rather than go with them. The nameless Wraith had informed him of experiments, he knew that he didn't want to experience any more of it.

One of the Wraith guard moved in, lifting a stunner in a threatening manner towards Sheppard.

Startled, Sheppard backed away, not wanting to experience another stun blast. "Whoa! Easy there, Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum. I was only making an observation. All you had to do was to say please."

The two guards move in, grabbed his arms and marched him out of the cell. Sheppard frowned, knowing that he was screwed for sure.

---

TBC


	3. Chapter 10

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 10**

The chamber that Sheppard was escorted to looked very much like one of McKay or Zelenka's experimental labs, only messier. There were numerous gizmos and gadgets cluttered across a wide table. One small green item caught Sheppard's eye. He had seen it before he knew what it was for.

The Wraith that stood in the centre of the lab gave him a predatory smile. "I see that you find my lab fascinating, human."

Sheppard looked up at the Wraith, recognising its voice. A name floated in his mind: _Daffy_, he had named this one Daffy. He didn't know how he knew that but somehow he did. Although his memory was still filled with holes, every fibre of his body screamed out that they had met before and that Daffy had done things to him. The word torture came to mind. He knew that even without being told. There were obviously some things that even his subconscious mind found difficult to forget. However, his mind refused to take him to the actual event itself, what he did recall were bits and pieces of what seemed to be more nightmare than real. He remembered being shackled to a wall and in pain. Then there was something about a bug – a large metal-like spider. He shuddered, pushing the memory away. Truth be told, he didn't really want to recall what had happened to him. All he knew was that it hadn't been pleasant and that he certainly didn't want a repeat session of it. Perhaps it was his body's reflexive coping mechanism that made him forget, he didn't really know, nor at this stage did he care, for currently he had more important things to worry about.

"So, you people created all this?" Sheppard asked, waving his hand at the items on the table. It was a question that he already knew the answer to. However he had been taught that the best way to know your enemy was by how much the other person revealed or didn't reveal. Looking at the Wraith, he waited for the response. At the same time, without being too obvious, he tried to inch his way closer towards the table. If only he could get his hands on the device, there was a strong possibility that he would be able to escape out from here relatively unscratched. Of course the question was whether he could get his hands on it.

The Wraith's eyes narrowed as it scrutinised him. "Do you know about Lantean technology, human?"

A question answered with a question, but it was enough - the Wraith had revealed a little of its intention. It immediately set him on edge. "Lantean?" he queried casually, "You mean the Ancestors?"

Somehow, he knew that he had to keep up the pretence that he was a native of the Pegasus Galaxy. Perhaps, he should admit being from Athos, at least he was familiar with that planet, or maybe Satedan, as Ronon's people were closer to Earth's technology than Athos. However, he had been surprised that the Wraith revealed the truth regarding the items scattered across the table. He wondered why he was even shown them in the first place. Was it some kind of trick to see what he would do? Did they suspect that he had the Ancient gene somehow? He didn't know what had been done to him during the period that his mind chose to forget. Yet, the raw injuries on his chest disturbed him. The nameless Wraith had informed him that he had been experimented on; it had also warned him that he should try to escape _before _he was taken to the labs a second time. A shiver passed through Sheppard; he felt that foreboding axe was about to drop on him at any time. He didn't like where his thoughts were heading and a small frown formed in between his brows. Damn it! Where was the rescue cavalry when you needed it? His team should be here by now, pulling his ass out of the fire. Never leave your people behind! He had taught them that, he knew that his team wouldn't abandon him. Taking a slow deep breath, he pursed his lips, forcing himself to calm down as his frown deepened. He reminded himself that his team would come for him; that they would arrive in time somehow, track him down and come to his rescue with guns a blazing. The Wraith's next words dragged his attention back to Daffy.

"Ah, yes," the Wraith replied, "we have heard them referred to as Ancestors by those whom we have captured and culled. Through our experiments, we have also determined that certain humans have a particular attribute that allows them to activate such technology. So far, we haven't been able to emulate this for our own use. It would be interesting to see if you, human, have it in you."

At that statement, Sheppard froze slightly; he knew that he couldn't allow the Wraith to discover that he had the ATA gene. The last thing he wanted was to aid the Wraith in their experiments. Nothing good would come out of it. Escape was his top priority, even if it involved risks. He took a step closer to the table, trying not to make it too obvious. Not moving his head, his gaze went to the personal shield device that he saw sitting on the left side of the table, cluttered amongst other small items of various shapes and sizes. For a brief second, he wondered what the others did. If McKay were here, he knew that the scientist would be fascinated by them; he would probably want to test them out immediately. But the other devices were not his concern; Sheppard's focus was to get his hands on the personal shield device that he recognised and to activate it somehow. If that was achievable, the Wraith wouldn't be able to harm him and he stood a pretty good chance at escaping. But, with two burly Wraith guards standing next to him, it wasn't an easy feat.

As he tried to come up with an escape plan, he heard a familiar chirping sound at the corner of the lab. Looking around, he was surprised to note that there were numerous small holes in the wall and ceiling above, quite similar to those in his cell. A flash of movement caught the corner of his eye. Turning his gaze, he caught sight of a pair of familiar beady eyes peaking out at him. _Snacks!_ He wondered what his little furry friend was doing here. Was the winged creature following him somehow? Was it one of those animals where once you fed them, they became your friend for life? Sheppard's lips twitched slightly in response, feeling optimistic as something akin to a plan formed in his mind.

However, the Wraith before him also heard Snacks. An annoyed growl erupted from its lips as it commanded one of the guards standing next to Sheppard to shoot the animal. A burly Wraith removed its blaster and aimed it at the hole where Snacks was. Alarm and fear for Snacks' safety sizzled through Sheppard as the Wraith fingered the trigger. Panic flared and the pilot desperately wished that he had a sidearm, a P-90, even a knife – anything that he could use to stop what was about to happen. However, being weaponless did not necessary mean that he was helpless. He knew exactly what he had to do to knock off the aim. He let instinct take over as he barrelled himself into the Wraith's side, knocking off the shot just as the Wraith pulled the trigger. From his peripheral vision, he saw the blast ricochet harmlessly off the side of the wall in a shower of sparks. The blast was enough scare off Snacks, but instead of diving back into its little hidey hole as Sheppard had expected, the silly creature flew out into the open instead.

_Damn it! _Sheppard thought desperately to himself. Even though it was now flapping, scooping and diving rapidly all over the place, Snacks made an easier target. He refused to allow Snacks to be killed or captured. Besides, the nameless Wraith had made it clear that all those in this world wanted Snacks' kind dead. And Snacks had already proven itself as an ally and friend in this hostile world when it had saved him from the Wraith Worshipper. Making up his mind, Sheppard decided to go for the best option available to him while Snacks provided the distraction that he needed. It was now or never. With a giant leap, he made a mad dash towards the laboratory table that held the Ancient artefacts. His hand reached out to grab the personal shield, but just as his fingers touched it, he felt the stunner blast hit him in the back. Without a word, Sheppard dropped like a rock, tumbling painfully down onto the table of artefacts. The impact of his falling body knocked off several items onto the floor scattering them everywhere.

As darkness closed in on his vision, Sheppard forced his eyes to remain open a moment longer. He saw Snacks take a swan dive towards something shiny on the floor, scooping it into its mouth before the sounds of Wraith blasters filled the air. He thought he heard Snacks shriek out a cry of pain. At the sound, his mind screamed out in despair; he had to know whether Snacks made it out of the lab alive. But despite his best efforts, the effects of the stunner blast propelled him into the black abyss of oblivion and he knew nothing more.

---

To be continued

Author's note – A little short I know, but I've been busy with work, among other things, and I figured that readers preferred a shorter update sooner rather waiting for a longer, larger one later. Thanks for the reviews, glad to hear that you guys dig this. :)


	4. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 11**

The Stargate activated and all those in the Gate room heard Major Lorne's urgent voice shout over the intercom, "We're coming in hot!"

The security team gathered swiftly at the base of the Gate room taking up positions close to the activated Stargate; all their weapons were armed and ready in case any of the enemy got through. When blaster shots erupted from the wormhole, all dived for cover. There were battle sounds coming over the intercom and those in the Gate room knew that their people were having a fight in their hands. Suddenly a ripple appeared from the wormhole and people started rushing out, carrying the wounded and an unconscious Wraith between them.

"That's all of us! Shut the gate!" Lorne ordered. However, before the gate deactivated two armed Wraiths got through. They were instantly hit in the chest by half a dozen weapons fire of P-90s. As their bodies hit the ground, there was a moment of tensed silence before the uninjured members of the off-world team slowly picked themselves up from the floor to quickly attend to those who were injured.

"Dr Beckett! Report to the Gate room immediately!" Weir tapped her radio as she hurried to the base of the Stargate. On the floor, lay two death Wraiths and a stunned and unconscious one, which McKay, Lorne and the others had successfully manage to lure and capture on planet XY35-353. Also lying on the Gate room floor were two injured marines, several bruised and battered off-mission personnel and one unconscious scientist.

"What happened to Rodney?" Weir asked, looking at McKay in concern.

"Wraith stunned, nothing serious," Lorne replied. "He should wake up in an hour or two."

Weir nodded feeling less worried now as she turned her attention to Teyla and Ronon who were securing the captured Wraith and handing it over to the security personnel to be carried to an Atlantis' holding cell. Carson and his people came rushing to the Gate room, attending to Rodney and the wounded. Ronon, Weir noticed, had a deep laceration on his forearm while Lorne sprouted an impressive black eye. Teyla was also walking with a limp indicating that she must have injured it somehow. Obviously the mission hadn't been without its problems.

"I see we got our Wraith," she said, looking at Lorne with a lifted brow and a half smile.

Lorne gave her a grin and a grimace. "Yes ma'am but they put up a heck of a fight. Three had activated their personal self-destruct when we tried to capture them, and trying to disarm them was no easy feat. Fortunately, Ronon managed to stun the last one with his blaster before the Wraith could activate its self destruct upon capture. It actually took the Satedan several shots to bring him down. However, when more Wraiths started to arrive, we knew that we were in trouble."

Weir nodded. "Well, it looks like you all did a good job. I suggest you get cleaned up and attended to by Dr Beckett and his team. We'll meet at fourteen hundred hours for your mission report and we can go over on how we intend to extract information from the Wraith. Let's just hope that it knows where Colonel Sheppard is."

"Yes ma'am," Lorne agreed with her grimly. "Otherwise, all our efforts to capture a Wraith would have been for naught."

---

The cold dose of water that splashed on his face, jerked Sheppard awake. He found himself in the uncompromising position of having his wrists shackled to chains on the wall of the Wraith's lab. Dizzy and disorientated, he spluttered, shaking his head and blinking his eyes in an attempt to dislodge water from dripping into his eyes and face. He recognised that his entire body was still suffering from the after effects of a Wraith stunner blast from the roaring headache and pins and needles feeling in his body. Suppressing a groan, he lowered his head and closed his eyes wishing for a moment that he could awake from the nightmare that he currently found himself in.

"Welcome back, human." A low rumbled voice greeted him, sending a tingle of panic in the pit of his stomach. Hazel green eyes lifted to see a menacing green face scrutinising him closely, wide mouth stretched hideously across showing a set of pointed alien teeth. Recognition reasserted itself and he knew that the Wraith standing before him was not the nameless Wraith who was kept imprisoned next to his cell but that of the enemy.

"Hey," he replied wryly, "don't you ever get tired of this?" His eyes scanned the lab, hoping to see evidence of what had happened to Snacks. The fact that he saw no small furry body lying lifeless on the floor gave him hope; perhaps his little friend had escaped after all, he certainly hoped so.

"Did you kill it?" he finally asked, knowing that he was betraying a weakness but not caring at the moment. He just needed to know.

The Wraith looked at him curiously. "Kill what?"

"The…" he tried to recall what the nameless Wraith had called the little creature, "…Talmera." The name popped into his mind. _Snacks_, his inner mind said, _please let Snacks be okay_. "The Talmera, did you manage to kill it?"

The Wraith's eyes narrowed in speculation. "Why do you ask? What does it mean to you?"

The fact that it didn't tell him an outright "Yes" was good enough for Sheppard. "Nothing," he replied, feeling a tiny spark of hope. "Just curious, that's all." He knew that he had already revealed too much by the question, it was now time for damage control.

"I see," the Wraith smiled not a nice smile and it that did nothing to calm Sheppard's nerves. "And what if I said that I killed it?"

Sheppard tensed slightly, then he forced himself to calm down, making sure that his face and voice displayed no emotion. "Oh, it won't bother me," he replied, pretending that it didn't hurt, that he didn't care. "It's after all only a pest. I understand you guys like killing harmless creatures like that."

"Your actions earlier did not indicate this," it hissed back, clearly not believing him.

"Oh?" Shepard lifted an eyebrow and gave half a smile, "I only tried to save it to annoy you."

The Wraith before him gave him a snarl of displeasure.

"There, just like that," Sheppard smirked. His mother always called him incorrigible when he was a boy, he guessed she was correct.

"Enough!" the Wraith growled. It seemed to take a deep breath looking away for a moment, before turning back to Sheppard. "Tell me, human, why did you not speak to the human female that we sent to you?"

The change in subject took Sheppard by surprise, but in a way, he welcomed it. "You mean Katrall? The girl whom you planted to get information from me?" He saw the expression of surprise flit across the Wraith's face and he felt a sense of satisfaction. "It's not going to happen."

The Wraith looked at him curiously then it smiled back, showing a display of sharp pointed teeth. "So little fear," it mused softly. "Most humans cringe in fear at the sight of us and if they are worthy, they worship us. But you -- _James Kirk--_" It spat the name out as if it were poison, placing its face close to Sheppard's that he could feel the Wraith's hot breath on his flesh. With narrowed eyes, it ran a long fingernail down the side his cheek. Sheppard tried to jerk his head away, shuddering at the touch but to no avail.

"You resist us," the Wraith continued to whisper close in his ear. "Such futile efforts, such a waste of energy; it would be better served if you cooperated with us, for it would cause you less pain." It waited for Sheppard's response, when he kept silent, the tone of its voice changed to something more calculating. "You are different from the others we've taken. Unlike many of your kind, you show very little fear in the face of impending doom. Why?"

"Perhaps because I know that your kind is not infallible? Maybe, because we are more than just a food source?"

The Wraith chuckled menacingly. "Ah, you are an interesting one. I shall enjoy seeing how our experiments affect you. Shall we start on that first, human? Do you wish to know what we've done to you?"

Sheppard lifted his head at that, his heart rate accelerating. Did he really want to know? He knew that he wasn't one to hide with his head stuck in the sand. In his book, it was always better to know than to fear the unknown. "Yes," he finally answered, staring levelly at the Wraith and steeling himself for the answer.

The smile on the Wraith widened. "Ah, you human are either very foolish or very brave," the Wraith replied in its observation. "Very well then, I shall tell you. We have started to modify your human DNA making it that soon you must be in close proximity to Wraiths in order to survive. That means that you cannot escape us, for to do so your body will initiate poisons that will bring indescribable pain and much suffering before you start to die. Already you must have felt it, when I sent the guards to get you, yes? Did you not feel a rejuvenation of strength? It gives you strength but it is also changing you on many different levels making you ours. When we finally feed on you, it's our hope that your life force will satisfy us longer. You will find that your senses are also becoming more attuned to us allowing you to sense our presence from a far. But in order to live, you must stay close to us. "

The Wraith's words made Sheppard's blood run cold. He had sensed it, just before the Wraith guards arrived to his cell, he had sensed their presence. When they came closer, he felt stronger, more energised. But with that knowledge, he also knew that he was screwed and that what the nameless Wraith told him was true; he had to escape sooner rather than later.

---

To be continued

Note: Thanks so much for all your comments, I loved reading them! Snacks fate will be revealed a little later but at least now you know what's been done to poor Shep. Stealth Dragon, good guess about the implantation of a control device, cos in a way, it's kinda correct. You sure you don't have a magic ball hidden up your sleeve somewhere? ;)


	5. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 12**

Somewhere along the day, Sheppard lost track of time. He didn't know how long he hung on the chains of the Wraith's lab; all he knew was that his wrists, shoulders, arms, chest and legs burned with an agonising fire that told him that he had hung up there for far too long. His stomach rumbled with hunger and an awful thirst burned at the base of his throat. With his wrists hanging above his head and his feet barely touching the ground, he felt as if he was slowly losing his mind to the raging torment brought on by overstretched limbs and abused muscles. He knew that the Wraith had left him hanging there as a form of slow torture and it was working much too well for his liking.

Lost in his world of pain, he did not hear the Wraith return to the lab and approach him again until sharp fingers jerked his head sideways and something sharp plunged at the base of his neck. Half conscious and exhausted, Sheppard only released a soft moan but made no other sound.

"Time to see if you have the Lantean gene, human," the Wraith informed him as it extracted Sheppard's blood roughly with a syringe. The words seemed to get a reaction out of him as the Colonel suddenly realised what they meant. He bucked and tried to stop what was happening. However, his movements inadvertently caused raw fires and daggers of pain to shoot out from his aching joints, making him cry out in agony. His feeble attempts and obvious suffering made no impression on the Wraith except to amuse it greatly. To punish him for trying to fight back, Daffy pulled back its fist and stuck a cruel blow at Sheppard's bandaged and sore chest, stealing the pilot's breath away and bringing tears to his eyes.

Looking at the full syringe now filled with blood, it gave Sheppard an insidious grin before heading towards the lab table. It placed the Colonel's blood sample into some sort of testing machine, switching it on with a low powered hum. It took less than two seconds for the device to complete its task. The Wraith then removed the vial and placed it into another machine, before examining the readings. After a while, it suddenly jerked its head up to stare at Sheppard with a look of surprise and pleasure on its green face.

"You have the attribute of the Lanteans!" came the revelation, its mouth stretched once again in a sickening grin. The way it eyed Sheppard reminded him of a predator toying with its meal. _Way to go, John, you've just jumped out from the frying pan into the fire. _Sheppard thought grimly to himself. There was really nothing for him to say except to glare back at the Wraith and to search for a way to escape. Chained to where he was, he found it difficult to think straight as his limbs burned in torment and ached for release. He looked around the lab again, studying the numerous holes on the walls and ceiling, wishing that he could see Snacks peeking out from one of them. However, his little furry friend remained disturbingly elusive and absent.

The Wraith picked up a black metal ring and placed it on its finger, his other hand rubbing against it. It turned back to scrutinise Sheppard intensively. Making its way back to him, it reached out long green fingers and jerked Sheppard's spiked hair and head painfully backwards. "Tell me, human, what's your name?!" it demanded suddenly.

The question took him by surprise. He thought it already knew his name to be James Kirk. The Wraith's mouth stretched again hideously across the green face; the cold reptilian eyes radiated with excitement of a killer. "Very well then, I see that you choose to remain defiant. Perhaps a little _persuasion_ is in order."

---

The captured Wraith sat in its cell brooding in silence until Teyla arrived with Ronon and Weir. At their arrival it looked up and snarled at them.

"Have it revealed anything, Rodney?" Weir asked McKay who had come to question the Wraith after he had recovered from his wraith stun blast and discharged from the infirmary. There were also two security personnel stationed silently outside the cell to guard their prisoner.

"No, nothing yet," McKay replied, "All I got from it is that we're going to be the victims of its next feeding frenzy. You know the usual crazy Wraith threats that we all know and love."

Weir smiled and nodded; it was as they had expected. The Wraith wasn't going to easily volunteer the information that they needed from it in order to save Sheppard.

The Wraith who was pacing now stopped to watch them intently. "Your missing friend is likely a pile of dust by now. He would have died most painfully after being fed upon by my brethren! Soon, you and your kind will join him!" it snarled angrily in response.

Ronon growled deep and looked as if he wanted to approach the Wraith, but Weir's hand reached out and grabbed him in a tight hold. "No, Ronon. It's what he wants from us."

The Satedan paused, held back and nodded. Weir could feel the tension, hatred and anger radiating from Dex. She knew that Ronon wanted the Wraith dead and he was only reining back his anger because they needed information from it concerning Sheppard's whereabouts.

Satisfied that the warrior wasn't about to do anything foolish, Weir turned back towards Teyla. She noticed that the Athosian was still walking with a slight limp, a result of a sprained ankle. "Are you sure you can do this, Teyla?"

The Athosian gave her an uncertain smile before nodding. "Yes, Elizabeth. Besides, do we have any choice? John needs our help and I should be able to determine whether it knows of Colonel Sheppard's whereabouts."

"Very well, Teyla. Just remember, be careful."

Teyla nodded, before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.

Weir looked at Ronon. "You know what to do?" she asked him, taking the precaution should the Athosian's mind be compromised by their Wraith prisoner.

The Satedan nodded. "It's set to stun," he stated grimly as he folded his arms together and waited for the outcome.

---

Sheppard struggled futilely. He was no longer chained to the wall but instead shackled to a metal table that reminded him too much of unlawful experiments which he knew was about to be conducted on him. His head was trapped in some sort of mechanical device and currently the Wraith was inserting something cold, small and sharp up his nostril. The pain that it caused as it entered deeper into the cavity of his nose resulted in him screaming and sending his heart rate accelerating to a dangerous level. He struggled, trying to fight against it, trying to escape, but to no avail. He was trapped like a bug in a zap trap and there was nothing that he could do about it.

It was then that the shattered memories of his earlier time in the lab returned; he remembered the metal spider digging into the centre of his chest, driving some _thing _into him. The memory was traumatic and scared him more than anything else could. He hated the lack of control, unable to stop what had happened and was happening to him now.

"_Noo_!" he screamed out his defiance, trying to struggle against his restraints, his eyes moving frantically in search of escape. He was hit by the sudden realisation that there was no escape; no one was coming to his rescue: his team had abandoned him to face this horror alone. He knew then that his team would not arrive in time to save him and he despaired at the thought. _Where are you guys when I need you?! _The desperate plea and rage was only in his mind, yet it resonated loudly in his soul. With a cry of frustrated rage, all he could do was kick out and scream out curses at his tormentor until his throat felt raw. He only heard sadistic laughter above him. His head jerked back and he screamed as he felt the tiny Wraith device shoot up his nose to lodge itself into his brain.

---

To be continued


	6. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 13**

Once again, cold water splashed onto him, bringing Sheppard back from the realm of unconsciousness. He spluttered, trying to shake his head to dislodge the water, while licking drops of liquid from his parched lips trying to quench the terrible thirst that he was in. Upon awakening, he suddenly wished that he was back in that black abyss again as everything spun dizzily to the point where he ended up being sick.

"First lesson of the day, human: telling the truth-" the Wraith spat out the words smugly in a ominous tone.

Sheppard lifted his head to glare dully at the Wraith that held him prisoner. He realised that he was no longer restrained on the metal operating table but was chained on the wall again. His mind felt numb, as if he was in a dream, inhabiting a body that could betray him at any time. He had never felt so lost and abandoned in his life. He didn't know what had happened to Snacks, his only friend in this hostile world that he currently found himself in. His only other ally was a nameless Wraith who was also a prisoner here and as helpless as he.

At seeing him awake, Daffy the Wraith started his interrogation immediately. "We know that James Kirk isn't your real name, tell us what it is!"

The Wraith's eyes narrowed as it glared at him. Sheppard suddenly felt an alien pressure in his mind, very similar to what he had experienced when he encountered the Wraith Queen on board the Hive ship. He tried to fight against it but the pressure grew greater, accompanied by a raging headache. His vision started to haze out so that he finally shut his eyes and gritted his teeth tightly in an attempt to retain control. He knew that something had been implanted in his head, as if having an invisible lease to keep him close wasn't good enough. He now knew why the nameless Wraith had advised him to escape before he was taken to the lab a second time. Unfortunately, they came too early for him; he hadn't had an opportunity to work out an escape plan yet. The pressure grew, demanding an answer from him and he fought back with all that he had. He took courage in the fact that he had once denied a Wraith Queen from getting information out from him when he had been captured onboard a Hive ship.

More persistent force assaulted his mind. He grimaced, stubborn pride refusing to give Daffy the Wraith what it wanted. He knew that Daffy wanted to break him that it was a battle of wills. A few minutes passed and he heard a soft dripping sound hit the lab floor close to his dangling feet. Opening his eyes, he saw red drops hitting the floor below him. It took him a few heart beats to realise that his nose was beginning to bleed heavily. A part of his mind registered alarm that this was not a good sign. His headache was beginning to turn into excoriating pain now. If felt as if his head was about to explode.

With growing alarm, he felt something move inside him, something small, something tiny, something sinister. Before he could stop what was happening, he felt a small electrical surge hit his brain and suddenly, against his will, he found himself screaming out his name over and over again. "_Sheppard! My name's Sheppard! John Sheppard! John Sheppard!..._" He couldn't stop himself, as he babbled out his name over and over again like an out of control automaton, and he hated himself more for it.

Daffy the Wraith smiled. It rubbed the dark ring on its finger and the pain in his head suddenly subsided, leaving him gasping for breath in a painful wheezing manner. His heart thudded loudly in his chest, his eyes watered and his blood roared through his ears. Opening his tired eyes again, he found that his head was hanging limply on his chest and something wet was leaking down not only from his nose but also from his ears now. _Drip, drip, drip… Drip… Drip…_ _Drip_. The sound of his blood splashing on the floor below sounded almost hypnotic to Sheppard. However, it wasn't long before the flow turned sluggish, easing back to a trickle.

"Good, very good, John Sheppard," exclaimed Daff gleefully. Sheppard loathed hearing those words and detested himself for giving in to what the Wraith wanted. Pointed teeth greeted him menacingly in a satisfied smirk. "You fought valiantly human. I have never seen a human in our experiments fight the mind control as long as you did. Despite your appearance, you are a strong one indeed."

With his head still hanging down, he lifted his gaze to glare angrily back at the Wraith. "What did you do to me?" he asked. He had to know. Unlike before, this time the memory of the Wraith's most recent experiment was clear in his mind.

The Wraith smiled. "A mind device," it revealed. "It is still in its experimental stage and we still have much work to do on it. Our experiments with it have not always produced successful results; sometimes, after implantation, our prisoners tell us the truth almost immediately, at other times, we found some who managed to fight it at the cost of their own detriment. They are all dead now of course."

Daffy placed its face close to Sheppard's, almost touching the Colonel as reptilian eyes fixed on him before revealing its next words with open and cruel malice. "Examinations of such victims have shown us that the device literally melted their brains."

The Wraith moved back and said nonchalantly, "But you fought valiantly, human. It's a pity that it was all for nothing." The Wraith saw the question in his prisoner's eye and continued. "Since you were first captured, we already knew your name."

Daffy had been looking at him closely, waiting for a reaction, and it obviously caught one from him. Its smile stretched widely and it made sure that its next words struck where it was meant to hurt.

"That piece of metal tags that you wear around your neck betrayed you to us."

Sheppard instantly realised what it meant and a deep anger burned within him. _Stupid John! _He angrily chided himself. _How could I have been so stupid! _He should have guessed that the Wraith already knew his real name. That was why whenever he told it a false name; he sensed that it did not believe him, that it knew that he was lying because by default it did. It had been playing mind games with him all this time, knowing that he was lying and taking great pleasure in hurting him whenever he did. Since waking up in his cell, he knew that his mind hadn't been working on all full cylinders. He should have guessed or even suspected that the Wraith had known his name all along. After all, he had woken up shirtless in his cell and even Snacks had been attracted to his shiny dog tags. It would have been obvious that the Wraith too would have looked at it, examined it, when he had been caught and when they had removed his t-shirt. It didn't take a genius to figure out the meaning of the inscription on his dog tags.

Heaving out a sigh, he finally looked up at the Wraith standing before him. "So, why go through with the charade?"

"Control, Sheppard. Your first lesson is to instruct your body and mind to obey us."

---

Sheppard did not know how long he had been left hanging, chained to the wall again. Soon every awakening minute become a torment, agony to his mind and body. Sometime along the long stretched of hours of agony, he fell unconscious again. He was floating in a dark abyss when he was suddenly awakened by a noise and he felt a hand on his wrist, removing the chains.

"We got you, Sheppard." A familiar voice said. Feeling a surge of hope, he opened bleary eyes to see Ronon there, cutting away the shackles and setting him free. Then he was being helped down, fires of agony coursing through strained limps and joints as blood began circulating more freely again. He cried out in pain, but then hands were carrying him out of the lab. He saw Rodney and Teyla close beside him, touching and reaching out to offer him support. He felt a surge of happiness; his team had come for him at last! He felt like crying, his team had not abandoned him, they had come back for him, rescuing him from this hell hole just when he needed them most.

Everything seemed right with the world suddenly. He was back with his team; they had remembered him, they had not left him behind. Their exit from the lab was a blur to Sheppard; weak and dizzy, he did not remember much of it. Somehow they managed to make their way out of the Wraith Research facility, sometimes meeting up with Wraith and Wraith Worshippers, which his team quickly dispersed of. He was too confused and disorientated to ask them to go back for the nameless Wraith, or to search for Snacks. When they arrived back at the Stargate, they paused, leaning Sheppard gently against the DHD.

"Stay here, we'll be back. There's something that we got to do first," Ronon said as he and Teyla headed off somewhere.

McKay approached him, sitting down beside him. "Are you all right? What was the last thing that you remembered?"

Sheppard shook his head, his fingers rubbing the side of his head, his headache was back. "Telling you guys to get back through the Stargate. Took you guys long enough to get here, I thought you'll never find me," he commented.

McKay smiled. "We didn't know where you were, we've been scouting planets trying to track you down. Guess we got lucky this time."

Suddenly Ronon and Teyla came running towards them with a group of armed Wraith warriors hot on their heels. "Dial up the gate John! Quickly, before it's too late!" Teyla cried out.

Weapons fired sounded as both parties shot at each other. McKay took up his P90 and fired back at the Wraiths. Sheppard rose up, as he began hitting the first few buttons on the DHD. From the corner of his eye, he saw Teyla being struck by a Wraith stunner. Ronon fired back, and another Wraith fell to the ground.

"Hurry up, John!" Rodney screamed at him. "Complete the sequence before we're all dead!"

At McKay's words, Sheppard's hand suddenly froze and a frown appeared as a suspicion formed in his mind. He turned around to look at Rodney. The scientist was looking back at him, blue eyes wide with panic.

"What are you waiting for, John?! Dial us home!"

Sheppard closed his eyes, hope slowly being eroded by growing despair. "I... I don't remember!" he said, frowning at McKay. "You have to do it, Rodney!" he said, taking a step back from the DHD.

McKay approached him, grabbing his shoulders and staring up at him in shock. "What do you mean, you don't remember?! Surely you remember your way home!"

A little way off, he heard Ronon cry out as he was hit by a Wraith stunner.

"Stop playing games with us, John! If you don't dial us home, we're all dead!" Rodney shouted at him.

A cold certainty formed in his mind now, his pursed his lips and frowned. "You're not Rodney," he said calmly as he took a deep breath. "You're not my people." As long as he could remember, McKay never called him John, it was always Sheppard.

Rodney suddenly gave him a look that Sheppard had never seen in his friend's face before. It was a look of pure malice.

"How did you know?" McKay finally asked, but his voice now sounded more Wraith than human. "You are a smart one indeed John Sheppard, an enigma that I shall enjoy breaking…"

The Wraith in McKay's body stepped closer and abruptly slammed a cruel fist into Sheppard's body. Then Teyla and Ronon were also suddenly there, hitting him and pushing him to the ground. As he fell, they started to kick and punch him, at the same time screaming abuse at him, telling him that his friends, that his people would betray him - that they would never come back for him, that he was nothing to them. The last words he heard before he lost consciousness were: "We're not coming back for you, Sheppard! We're leaving you to rot where you are!"

---

In the experimental lab, the Wraith stared dispassionately at his unconscious human prisoner as Sheppard's limp body started to writhe painfully from the chains that he still hung on. He noted that the human's nose and ears began to bleed again and dull bruises began to form on his body. The hallucinogenic dream sequence that the human had been implanted with had almost been successful.

However, somehow, the human had been smart enough to sense that what he experienced wasn't real at all. The Wraith didn't know what had tipped the human off, after all, this was an experimental device, but he knew that he would enjoy breaking his prisoner. He was a master at his art, he was confident that sooner or later he would get all the information that he wanted from his prisoner. Granted, this human was strong, his will power and strength amazed him. But he was only human – a weaker species than the Wraith.

The Wraith smiled, promising himself interesting times ahead. He would enjoy breaking the one called John Sheppard. He had other hallucinogenic sequences planned for this one. Soon, the human wouldn't know what was real and what wasn't. And when he got all the information that he wanted from his prisoner, he would feed upon the human's strength until he was nothing more but an empty husk grounded to nothing but dust.

To be continued


	7. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 14**

They came for him twice more, and each time Rodney would make the same slip by calling him John and each time, Sheppard would know that it was another Wraith trick by refusing to give the enemy what they wanted. At the third attempt, something changed, it was as if the Wraith sensed that there was something wrong with their version of McKay that they needed to try something new. So when the team came to his rescue again, instead of making their way out of the lab, his team was captured and to Sheppard's horror, tortured before his eyes, in a most horrifying and painful manner. McKay was the first to die, followed by Teyla and then Ronon. It had been terribly hard for Sheppard to watch each of his team die one by one, and to make matters worse, this time he wasn't even sure whether it was real or not.

Despair set in and he felt himself reaching the limits of his endurance, he could feel himself slowly cracking at the seams in mind as well as in body. His lifeline came in the unlikely form of a Wraith-like voice whispering in his head, "_They're not your people, Sheppard…_" It took several moments for him to recognise the voice as belonging to the nameless Wraith. He didn't know how it did it, but somehow the Wraith prisoner back in its cell had managed to connect to his psyche. The voice was weak and he heard it only once, but it was enough for him to snap out of his growing madness to recognise truth from lies. Yet, he lost count of how many times and how many hours or days had passed where he had been forced to watch different versions of his team mates being tortured and killed, with Rodney always being the first to die.

At other times, his team came to his rescue but they always turned out wrong. Soon he began to dread seeing them, for he knew that they were illusions implanted by the Wraith to extract information from him. But even knowing it still didn't make it any easier especially when you experienced touch, taste, smell, sight and sound that all felt so real. There were times when he was questioned and his mind would explode with waves of pain and his nose would start to bleed, and he would shout and scream until his throat was raw. But somehow, he suspected that he never gave them the information they wanted for his team would return for him again and again to torment him. Sometimes they would be killed in front of his eyes and at other times they would attack and beat him up so badly that he would hear their screams of abuse echo in his ears as he was rendered unconscious. Little by little, Sheppard began to lose hope and with the loss of hope, he began to lose his will to survive.

---

Sheppard sighed, feeling the comforting presence of the cold hard floor of his cell again. At last, they had returned him back there. As if in a dream, he heard Daffy say to the two Wraith worshippers who had carried his limp and bruised body back to his cell that he was to be left with enough food and water to recuperate his strength before his next visit to the lab. He had almost cried out in relief to know that at last, Daffy was allowing him a little reprieve. During his time in the lab, not only had he been plagued with Wraith mind hallucinations, but Daffy had also taken more of his blood sample to be examined and analysed. He didn't remember eating or drinking, but he suspected that he was fed intravenously by the various IV lines that he occasionally found himself attached to.

Jerking awake when your body was in a world of pain was no picnic. Sheppard uttered a soft moan, squeezing his eyes shut, wishing he could wash away the nightmares of the past few days. He didn't want to move, for he knew that moving would awake the pain, something that he had experienced enough of lately to last a lifetime. Against his will, his body trembled uncontrollably. He tried to tell himself that it was the cold, but he knew that it was more than that. Everything felt wrong; things were a blur and he felt too exhausted, too tired and worn down to do anything else but to lie there where they had left him on the cold stone floor with a thin blanket now covering his shivering form. His mind floated in a dream-like state from which he did not wish to surface. Yet, when he closed his eyes, he would suddenly jerk awake again when he saw Rodney's face pleading with him for help just before they cut him open. Eyes snapping open, he would wake up panting, his heartbeat racing, his chest, ribs and right thigh burning with pain.

"Sheppard?" he heard the nameless Wraith call his name from its cell. "You have been gone for a long time. I feared that you would not return." The Wraith's voice sounded weak, strangely hollow, just like when he first encountered it when he was in Kolya's cell.

Sheppard did not reply immediately; his huddled form remained still while he continued to breathe harshly. He heard the Wraith move, approaching the cell window as it tried to look at him. Lying where he was, he could feel the Wraith looking at him in concern where it stood. For some crazy inconceivable reason, he felt comforted by its presence. He seemed to recall hearing its voice in his head while he watched his team being killed one by one.

"Sheppard?" the husky low voice called him again. "Ah, my friend... What did they do to you?"

He closed his eyes, took a heavy swallow and continued to breathe harshly. He wished he could wipe his memories away. He wished he could sleep forever and never wake up. Yet the Wraith in the other cell began speaking again, forcing him to focus on the present.

"When you were taken, I was concerned. I feared the worse. But then I sensed your pain; I could feel you were sinking into madness and despair--"

At those words, Sheppard opened his eyes, his mind felt fragile and sore as if it had been kicked and stomped on in a football field. "S-so that … w-was you?" he gasped out weakly in a whisper. "N-not a dream? H-how?"

The Wraith chuckled softly. "Not a dream, Sheppard, it was me. You have received the Gift of Life, which means we are linked in more ways than one. Sometimes, when the need is great, I can sense your pain. I was uncertain whether I could reach your mind, and it is good to know that you heard me." The Wraith moved; the voice going slightly muffled as if it was sitting back down in its darkened corner.

"I fear you will not survive another encounter in the lab again, Sheppard. If you plan for an escape, you must do it soon. I too grow weaker each day. Soon, I will not be able to help you."

The Wraith's ominous words brought Sheppard out from his dream-like state. He forced himself to sit up, clenching his teeth and grimacing as ribs seemed to grind painfully together and waves of pain hit him as his body protested at the movement. "What—" he swallowed, trying to get a decent breath before attempting to speak again, "What… are t-they … d-doing to you?" he finally asked, his hands seemed unable to stop their shaking.

"What your kind were doing to me before," the Wraith stated. "They have not fed me since my capture. I am starving, Sheppard. My hunger burns within me as it did once."

That did not sound good. Sheppard knew that if they were to make good their escape, they needed each other's help. The Colonel lifted his weary head, moving his body to a sitting position. "Kolya's _n-not_ my kind!" he said vehemently. Even now, heated anger pulsed deep within him over what the Genii had done to him. He hated the Genii as much as he hated Daffy the Wraith. Yet the nameless Wraith's words troubled him. He knew that with both of them weakened, the harder their chances for escape would be.

"He is human, that is enough," the Wraith in the other cell replied.

Sheppard shook his head. "There are… m-many things … that you do n-not know … about humans," he replied wearily. "We are… all _n-not…_ alike."

---

When he next awoke, he felt slightly better, a little stronger; it looked like what little sleep that he managed to get had helped. With shaky fingers, his hands dug into his vest pocket, searching for some pain meds and hoping that his captors still left them in there. Much to his relief, he found a few aspirin tablets. He downed two and swallowed them with some lukewarm water that his captors had placed in his cell. Wearily his gaze skirted to the tin plate left there, now filled with another piece of mouldy bread. Looking at it reminded him of Snacks. The fact that his little winged friend had not stolen it while he was asleep troubled him.

Wearily, he looked up towards the ceiling at all the spotted dark holes there. As he eyed them, he thought he detected a soft shuffling sound. Hope flared. _Could it be Snacks? _he wondered. He pursed his lips together and gave a soft bird whistle, the same whistle that he had used before to call his little friend to him. There were more shuffling sounds above him but no mouse-like head with beady eyes popped itself out to look at him. Grimacing and clenching his teeth, Sheppard used the wall behind him to help him stand. For the moment, everything swayed alarmingly - a roar filled his ears and his vision blurred to black. He would have fallen if he hadn't had the wall behind him to hold him up. After gulping down several nauseous swallows, he opened his eyes and made his way towards the wall. Looking up, he gave a soft whistle again; there were more shuffling sounds and he thought he detected as a soft forlorn chirp. Sheppard frowned. _Was Snacks hurt? _He recalled Daffy and the other Wraiths shooting at it, so in all possibility it could be. If it was, that meant that it needed help. Thoughts of his own body's distress fled his mind.

Sheppard chewed on his lower lip and looked around his cell again, hoping to see something that would allow him to get to the hole in the ceiling. There was nothing. Sighing, he stared at the wall in front of him; his hands moving to touch the rough surface, at the broken cracks and hollowed crevices scattered here and there. An idea formed and his heart beat quickened, adrenalin flowed and loaned him strength. It was worth a try. It had been some time since he had done any rock climbing, not since he was a teenager in high school, but looking at the random small holes and crevices on the wall, Sheppard thought that he could use them as handholds to make his way to the top. The ceiling wasn't too high, which meant that he wouldn't have to climb far, only enough to make his way to where he suspected Snacks was holed up. Fortunately, the hole where he suspected the little creature to be in was relatively close to the wall.

Making up his mind, Sheppard bent down to break a piece of mouldy bread from the plate on the floor, peeling it into several small pieces and placing them within easy reach of his pocket. He figured that he needed something to lure his little friend out into the open especially if Snacks was hiding there. His gaze went to the wall again, studying it and plotting out the best route, noting the positions of hand and foot holds that he could use to get to his destination. Once he had them memorised in his mind, he took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. He refused to think of his own body's aches and pains but instead reached up towards the first hole that he spotted on the wall, placing a hand in it. With a release of breath, he pulled himself up while his foot edged itself into a stony crack with a larger gap at the bottom.

He soon discovered that the task that he set himself was more difficult than he anticipated. His weakened state and various injuries were causing him problems. However, he refused to be defeated. He knew that this was a one shot deal; if he fell, he didn't think he would have strength to get up much less try it again, at least not for a while. But time was running out for him, and he needed to feel in control, to take action and to do something. For now, ensuring that Snacks was okay was first priority. He knew that he had a high pain threshold, so he pushed the agony to the back of his mind, while he forced his body to move upwards.

He decided to take it one step at a time, first one secure foothold then another solid handhold. Slowly, he managed to make his way to his destination. Twice he almost fell, but each time he managed to recover his balance enough to inch his way forward. Fortunately, he didn't have very far to go, just high enough to reach the ceiling hole. As he reached closer to his destination, he spotted one of the metal framed spotlights hanging near by. It looked firm and solid enough to take his weight. He knew that his grip on the rough wall was not going to last forever. Coming to a decision, he swung out a hand and managed to hook his arm around the metal frame of the spotlight, giving him better balance and support to remain where he was. His body, especially his ribs and chest protested, but the metal light held his weight much to his relief. Now that he was more secure, he concentrated on the ceiling hole above him.

"Snacks…?" he whispered softly, his eyes focused into the depths of the dark hole. He heard more shuffling sounds coming closer this time. He noticed that the hole looked like a mini cave, all rough at the edges as if sharp claws or something acidic bit into it. The hole did not go straight up, but instead slanted sideways, reminding Sheppard of overhead pipes. He couldn't see how deep it went, but from what he could make out of it, it looked deep enough to carry one furry little creature from one chamber to another. With his right hand still holding onto the metal spotlight, his other hand moved to take out a small piece of mouldy bread and place it just at the entrance of the hole. He gave another soft whistle resulting in more scurried movements sounding above him. He waited for a while before he was finally rewarded by a small furry head with beady eyes peering down at him. It was Snacks, he could recognise that face anywhere. The little winged beast reached out, twitched its tiny pink nose and snatched the small piece of bread that he left as bait and began munching on it immediately with its tiny paws.

Sheppard smiled and gasped out a sigh of relief. Seeing that his little friend was still alive released an unexpected flood of emotions deep within him. The back of his eyes felt hot and heavy, but he refused to allow the tears to fall. After everything that he had been through, seeing Snacks alive was like a gift he had not expected. Yet he wondered why it had taken Snacks so long to reach him. Was it injured? He needed to lure the creature out into the open in order to examine it.

Still smiling at his little furry friend, Sheppard carefully took out another small piece of bread, but this time, he placed it at the palm of his hand. Snacks, he saw, eyed it hungrily. Its little nose twitched rapidly and he could hear its cat-like tail thumping up and down excitedly like a dog's. He placed one hand out towards it, while his other hand held on tight to the metal spotlight.

"Here, Snacks!" he called it. It didn't need an invitation twice, with a leap and bound, it scrambled for the bread in his hand. However, to Sheppard's horror, Snacks miscalculated, resulting with it losing its balance and almost falling out from its hole. Several small objects, including a shinny powerbar wrapper, which were obviously Snacks' collection of shinny treasures, tumbled out of the hole onto the cell floor below.

Sheppard instinctively reached out to grab Snacks, stalling its fall as it began shrieking out in fright and almost lost his balance as a result. Fortunately, his grip on the metal spotlight prevented him from falling to the floor. He immediately saw the misshapen left wing while the other eagle-like wing expanded and tried to flap in a futile lopsided panicky manner. With its injury it couldn't fly, which was why it didn't come for the food left on the ground in Sheppard's cell. Somehow Snacks must have made it back to one of the ceiling holes before its wing was injured.

As Sheppard grabbed Snacks' furry little body to prevent it from falling, the little creature instantly grabbed onto his arm, holding onto it for dear life. Tiny sharp claws bit into the flesh of his arm painfully through his sleeve making the pilot clench his teeth but he didn't complain. However, Snacks didn't stay there for long, for it quickly scrambled up Sheppard's arm, making its ways towards the back of his neck where it curled itself snugly around his shoulders, holding on tight, its soft furry body still trembling slightly in fright. A small smile formed on his lips and Sheppard lifted his free hand to pet the little creature, feeling soft fur under his fingers and smooth feathers of its wings as he tried to comfort the little trembling body. Then, his focus moved back to his precarious situation. With a frown and pursed lips, he carefully moved his left hand back to grab a firm handhold on the wall, while his legs began to lower himself back to the bottom of his cell again.

---

To be continued


	8. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

_Thanks very much for your comments, they're like cookies to a hungry writer...  
_

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 15**

Sheppard made it back to the ground safely without any further mishaps with Snacks still clinging tightly around his shoulders. By the time he reached the cell floor, he was panting heavily, his entire body trembling and drenched with sweat from over exertion and exhaustion. He had pushed his injured and feverish body too hard and the strain finally took its toil on him when his legs suddenly folded under him. With a groan, he collapsed. At Sheppard's rather ungraceful tumble, Snacks gave a squeak of fright and made a panicked scramble to the highest point, which happened to be on Sheppard's head. In a matter of seconds, the Colonel soon felt a soft warm underbelly and a tiny set of paws (with claws extended) digging painfully on his scalp.

Lt Colonel John Sheppard did not appreciate wearing a frightened Snacks' headpiece on his head, especially when a Snacks-size paw accidentally slipped and tried to take out his left eye. "Ow!" he gasped out painfully, raising both hands to grab a firm hold of the little critter and lifted it off his head. He felt more than a few strands of his dark hair being painfully pulled off his scalp as Snacks tried to stubbornly cling onto its hairy perch while it squawked indignantly.

It struggled for a moment, wanting to remain where it was, and Sheppard could feel its little heart thumping wildly through its chest as he held it in his hands. "H-hey! Take it … easy, little fella!" he gritted out as he succeeded in bringing one indignant little fuzz ball with a crooked wing to the front and centre so that he could examine it closer. At his voice, the squirming body of Snacks paused slightly. "Snacks…" he whispered the name softly then gave a soft bird whistle.

The little winged beast finally ceased in its struggles and lifted a curious head to look at him, almost touching him nose to nose. Sheppard found himself staring once again into a set of dark beady eyes. "Hey there, Snacks," he intoned softly, giving his furry friend a little smile. "I just wanted to say … thanks." He remembered all too vividly how Snacks had flown to his rescue, saving him from that crazy female Wraith worshipper who was hurting him. He also remembered how Snacks had inadvertently provided him with the distraction he needed in the Wraith lab…. It was a shame that it was unsuccessful and that he had failed in getting his hands on the personal shield, but that wasn't Snacks fault but his own's.

From the other side of the wall, a low chuckle sounded. "Like I said before, you are a strange one, Sheppard," the Wraith observed. "The only one I know to befriend a Talmera and risk injury for it. Now you speak to it as if it's intelligent enough to understand you. It is a Talmera, human, a pest, it is best to kill it while you still can."

Sheppard had not known that the Wraith was awake. His gaze flicked to the cell window, seeing the dark shadow of the Wraith standing there, observing him. He made a face, looked back at Snacks and whispered softly to the little fella. "Don't mind the … c-cranky Wraith," he said in a conspiring tone, "you understand me, don't you, Snacks?"

Snacks gave him a blink and a chirp; its cat-tail wagged twice. "I knew you did." Sheppard replied with a smile.

Placing Snacks gently on the ground, his hands folded to examine the misshapen wing. "How long … have you been w-watching?" he asked the Wraith. He frowned not liking the sound of his stutter. What in the world was wrong with him?!

"As soon as you started to make enough noise to wake up the death," the other replied.

Sheppard shook his head and an unexpected smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. "Great! Of a-all Wraiths that I have to share an adjoining cell with…, I g-get one with a sense of humour."

The Wraith chuckled and said nothing more; it moved to settle itself back down on the cell floor again.

---

Making sure that he had a firm but gentle grip on Snacks so that the little critter couldn't escape before he could tend to its injured wing, Sheppard used his other free hand to empty out his vest pockets to see what materials he had available to work with. To his surprise, he found three powerbars, two pencils, a marker pen, a few more aspirin tablets and his treasure load: field bandages. He decided that he had enough material to work with to create a splint around Snacks' injured wing. Up close, he noticed that Snacks' dark brown feathers were dotted with some pretty looking gold flecks on them. Using the two pencils as the base of his splints, he managed to get Snacks to stop wiggling so much by placing more pieces of bread in front of it. While Snacks started to gooble the food down hungrily (Sheppard suspected that the little creature probably couldn't hunt properly with its wounded wing so it must have been starving) he gently took the injured wing in his hands and tried to straighten it out. When it yelped in pain, he managed to calm it down, while petting its sleek fur coat reassuringly. It took a while and a lot of coaxing on his part, but Snacks finally seemed to realise that all Sheppard wanted to do was to help treat its injury. As soon as it realised that, it didn't struggle so much, which made Sheppard's task of treating it much easier.

When he was finally done, Snacks had a bandaged wing, splinted and tugged close to its body. The Colonel smiled, feeling weary and sore but very much pleased with his handy work. As he eyed the white bandage his gaze fell upon the pen maker. Picking it up, he wrote the name "Snacks" on the bandage. "Well, it's not really a c-cast, but it'll do," he said to his little friend. The little creature lifted its head and chirped happily at him. It seemed to enjoy Sheppard's hand patting the top of its head and especially the gentle strokes he gave under its neck. It closed it eyes and began to release soft purring sounds almost like a cat. Sheppard smiled, having Snacks alive and well lifted his spirits as he never thought it could in his current dismal situation.

However, just as things started to look brighter, a hallucinogenic memory suddenly flashed through his mind: Ronon punching him hard in the ribs, then kicking him viciously when he was down; Teyla and Rodney following suit. Reactively, he slammed his eyes tight against the mental and physical pain that the memory caused him, his body trembling uncontrollably. He knew that he was seriously mixed up. Thoughts of his team now did not bring him comfort and hope as it used to but irrational fear. A rational part of his mind told him that it wasn't his team but Wraith mind tricks, that he still wished for his friends - his real team - to come rescue him and take him back to Atlantis, but another part of his mind could not handle seeing them again. _Even if they came for me, would I even recognise them? Would I even want them to see me like this? _The bitter thoughts felt like poison in his mind.

Suddenly his team's dying screams rang through his head, tightening a painful fist around his heart. Sheppard dug his head down and tried to repress the sob, while at the same time he grabbed his aching head tightly with both hands as he gritted out a painful moan. He didn't know how long he sat there in tensed silence, gripping the side of his head tightly as if his head would fall off. With his head bowed low hidden below his knees, he started to shake, wishing that his body would stop hurting and his irrational fears would ease. Rational thought returned when he felt a soft furry head trying to wiggle its way up to his face and a small wet tongue licked the drop of perspiration off the tip of his nose. His lifted his head, looked up to find himself gazing into Snacks dark copper brown eyes. It gave him a questioning chirp again as if to say '_Are you all right?_'

Against his will, Sheppard nodded and smiled. It was amazing how fast that little winged rascal had wormed its way to his heart. Snacks blinked at him for a second or two, looking at him solemnly before it swiftly bounded away to sniff around at its various shinny treasures scattered in the middle of the cell floor. Sheppard had forgotten about them until he saw Snacks pick up a small round item in its mouth and bounded back towards him almost like a dog with a bone. With a little happy chirp, Snacks dropped the little silver thing onto his lap. Puzzled, John Sheppard slowly picked it up and held it in his hand, feeling the smooth roundness and the lightness of its weight. He felt his heartbeat quicken as he examined it closer. It was not the personal shield that he saw in the lab, but it was definitely Ancient for it had similar looks to the personal shield device except that it was white-gold in colour. As he felt it in his fingers, he could feel Ancient energy still pulsing within it. The question now was what did it do?

Snacks looked up at him, its cat-like tail swishing from left to right in a playful expectant manner. Sheppard moved his free hand to pat its furry head then he moved his fingers to scratch under its neck. "Thanks, Snacks," he whispered softly to his little friend. As Snacks began to purr, Sheppard gripped the whitegold device in a fist and stilled his thoughts. Pursing his lips together, his closed his eyes and thought the words 'Activate'.

---

To be continued

_Applause goes to all those who spotted and wondered about Snacks' shinny treasures falling on the cell floor below. You guys are sharp!  
_


	9. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

_Thanks again all those who took the time to review, they're very much appreciated.  
_

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 16**

At the device's activation, Sheppard placed it on his jacket and felt an icy whoosh expand from the device to encompass his entire body. His surroundings immediately took on a washed out look while Snacks suddenly took a jump backwards - its dark copper eyes moving around frantically while its nose twitched rapidly.

"Snacks?" Sheppard wondered why the creature seemed a little startled and confused. What had that device done? The little critter's ears perked up at the sound of his voice and it dashed forward towards him only to collide headfirst on Sheppard's side. It gave a startled yelp and stumbled backwards, but Sheppard caught it in time before it could do itself more damage. Carrying the wiggling little winged beast in the palms of his hands, he saw Snacks looking up, down and around puzzled, its nose twitching away as if it could smell him. Then it looked up and blinked, while giving out a soft enquiring yowl.

"Sheppard?" the nameless Wraith called his name. Its voice sounded odd, well odder than normal. "Are you doing that?"

He turned to look at the cell window, still holding a squirming Snacks in his hands. "Doing what?" he asked puzzled.

He saw the Wraith turning its head to look around the cell then dark eyes zeroed in on Snacks. "Are you carrying that Talmera or has it simply learnt to defy gravity while squirming around without using its wings?"

If he didn't know better, he would have said that this Wraith not only had a sense of humour but it also had a healthy dose of sarcastic wit thrown in to boot. He wondered whether it came naturally or whether it had learnt that attribute from humans after being a prisoner of Kolya's for so long.

His heart began to beat more rapidly at the question. If the Ancient device did what he thought it did then he could certainly use it. "You c-can't … see me?"

"I see only the squirming Talmera that you deemed to name Snacks," came the dry response.

He looked at himself, he could still see himself; to his eyes he wasn't invisible except that his hands and feet had also taken on that washed out look like the rest of his surroundings. However, if what the Wraith said was true, it appeared that he just got his hands on a personal cloaking device, courtesy of Snacks and Ancient technology.

A personal shield device would have been great but this also topped high on his list of 'cool'. Placing Snacks back down to the ground again, he thought 'off' and removed the device from his chest. Everything instantly returned back to normal again and the washed out look immediately disappeared. He heard the Wraith gasp slightly in surprise and the reptilian eyes glittered with excitement and hope. For the first time in long while Sheppard found himself grinning widely as if Christmas had come all at once. Already, his mind was spinning up ideas of an escape plan while his hand retrieved a powerbar from his jacket pocket.

At the sight and sound of him opening the powerbar wrapper, Snacks, who had taken the liberty of rubbing its ears on his pants leg, released a happy squeak and its tail began to wag from side to side in open excitement. Its beady eyes did not leave the powerbar or its silver shinny wrapper that Sheppard was currently tearing open. The Colonel knew that the Talmera was smart; it knew that it was about to be rewarded for the gift of its treasure. In a way, it kinda reminded him of the tales that McKay liked to tell him about his cat – it would kill mice and leave the kill just outside Rodney's apartment door back on Earth. It would then stick by McKay's side and constantly be in the scientist's way until it was rewarded by a pat and the words of "Good cat" by Rodney himself. Sheppard had yet to figure out whether McKay was annoyed with the repulsive gift or secretly pleased that his cat turned out to be such a great hunter.

Tearing out a generous piece of powerbar, he handed the tasty-treat to Snacks. Snacks gave a happy yelp and instantly took the powerbar with its tiny paws and sharp teeth. Then it sat itself down nearby and began munching on the powerbar with gusto. Sheppard smiled as he took a bite out from the remaining powerbar. He knew that he needed his strength for it would soon be time for their escape.

---

The Wraith had been surprised to discover that it was Snacks, the Talmera (of all creatures) that had given Sheppard the gift of invisibility by bringing him the small device that the little beast had obviously stolen from the experimental labs. It seemed that Sheppard had a raw talent of endearing the most unlikely allies towards him. Once again, he was proving to be a human most extraordinary – if a creature such as a Talmera (whose natural ability and make-up was to steal from all) could befriend a human and provide that human with the means of escape by giving him something that it had stolen, the Wraith knew that he was watching a most unusual event indeed.

The human called Sheppard was continuously surprising him. Sheppard was right; it seemed that there was much that he did not know about humans, just like there were many things that the human did not know about wraiths. Since he had first fed upon the one called Sheppard, he had sensed that this human was different. When Sheppard had freed him and kept his word instead of killing him on that Genii world, the Wraith had been most surprised. To be returned to his own kind was not the gift he had expected after Sheppard had shot him with the weapon of the tall human warrior when his people finally arrived. That one, the Wraith had sensed, hated his people with a passion that could not be quenched.

So to say that he had been surprised to wake up in a world where there were many of his own kind instead of being dead, would be an understatement. In order to survive, the two of them had formed an alliance, where they had worked together to escape a common enemy. In that singular event, Sheppard had proven himself a man of his word and an honourable warrior. The Wraith had never felt so close a kinship to a human before as he did then. The human had proven himself as honourable as his closest brethrens, someone who could be trusted; someone whom he would have been proud to call 'brother'.

He shook his head at the irony of their situation. It seemed that they were destined to meet again, for now they found themselves once again working together in order to save both their lives in another escape, from another prison, on another world. But this time, it seemed, there was another individual in the mix - unexpected as it may be - in the form of a Talmera, considered nothing more but pests in this world; thieves of the night. Who would have thought that a Talmera, a dishonourable scavenger, a thief among thieves, could understand the concept of honour and friendship? Sheppard however taught him that there was more to the little beast than met the eye.

His gaze went to the other items on scattered below on the floor. One shinny item caught his eye and he paused. _Could it be? _he asked himself silently. Surely the Talmera could not have stolen _two _useful items from the lab? That would be too much to ask.

"Sheppard," he called to the human, turning his gaze to watch the human consume a strange food source wrapped up in a roll. The Talmera, Snacks, seemed to enjoy it as Sheppard threw it another piece.

The human turned his gaze towards him. He could read weariness and pain in Sheppard's features. "Yeah?" For an instance, he felt grave concern for the continued well-being of this human. This one had suffered much under the hands of Wraith. He knew about the experiments that the other Wraith liked to perform; he had sensed some of the pain that the human had been in.

"Do you see that small silver item on the ground to your left?"

Sheppard's eyes narrowed. "You mean the shinny crystal-like cylinder the size of my finger?"

The Wraith nodded. "_Yesss!_" His long wiry fingers went to the cell bars to grip them tightly as excitement built within him. He tried not to show it to the human, but he suspected that Sheppard was perceptive enough to suspect that his request was important.

He saw Sheppard close his eyes as if steeling himself for movement. Then he lifted himself (not without some struggle) and moved to pick up the small cylinder shaped crystal. He looked at it, studying it for a few heartbeats. For an instance, the Wraith feared that Sheppard was going to keep the thing for himself. But after a second or two, Sheppard looked up and made his way back towards the Wraith.

As he handed the item over to him, he asked "So…, w-what does it do?"

The Wraith felt his lips stretching from side to side as he examined it. It was what he had expected it to be. It was the purpose why he came here in the first place. This object would help him complete his task and in doing so, it would also hopefully help Sheppard too. His hand closed round the small cool crystal in a tight fist. He looked up to see a set of intelligent hazel-green eyes studying him quietly.

Ever since he met Sheppard, his outlook regarding humans had changed considerably. He already knew that Sheppard had honour, the human had demonstrated that he could be trusted. This one had been worthy indeed for the Gift of Life. His gaze now moved towards the winged pest that the human seemed to regard with such affection. The creature was still consuming the food that Sheppard had given it. As he studied the little winged beast, the Wraith noted somewhat with surprise that he too was beginning to take a liking for the one called Snacks. To discover that it actually had a warrior's spirit; that it could defend Sheppard; that it could offer Sheppard what it had stolen was most astonishing indeed. He shook his head and chuckled, it seemed that life was full of surprises. For Snacks had offered them two gifts that day. Fortune was certainly smiling down on them.

"It is a key," he finally replied to Sheppard's query. He saw Sheppard arch a brow.

"A key to our cell?" the human asked hopefully, obviously not daring to believe what he just heard.

The Wraith shook his head and chuckled. This one was so young, so naïve in many ways. "No," he replied. "The key to something that I need to get."

Sheppard frowned slightly at those words. "I supposed you're not going to tell me what it is?"

The Wraith shook his head. "No," he replied, looking at Sheppard with amusement and respect. Perhaps the human before him was not so naïve after all.

But having Sheppard so close to him now, where he could practically taste the human's life force, reminded him of his burning hunger. He trembled slightly. To have a food source standing so close to him was like torture to his soul. All he had to do was to reach out his hand and take his fill. He forced himself to steer away from such shameful thoughts. Sheppard trusted him; he could not do that to his human brethren. Yet, to have sustenance so close by was such agony to him and it took all his will power not to do what his body craved for. His body burned deeply with hunger and it took everything within him not to take what his kind needed. But he knew that his face must have given something away for he saw Sheppard take a step back away from him. He breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled softly to himself. This one was smart. He knew there was a reason why he liked this human. But now they had to focus on what was important.

"So, tell me, Sheppard? What are your plans for escape?"

---

To be continued


	10. Chapter 17

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 17**

The stage was set. The Wraith yelled and shouted, calling for the guards at the top of its lungs and generally made a wild ruckus in order to get attention. Finally Katrall, the female Wraith worshiper and her male companion, the stocky man with thinning hair, arrived with a Wraith warrior. They looked at the nameless Wraith asking what was wrong. It nodded towards Sheppard's cell, replying, "The human, he has escaped."

The Wraith guard glanced into the empty cell and hissed out a disbelieving growl before removing a set of keys from its pocket and opened Sheppard's cell door. The Wraith guard and the man strode inside to search the chamber. Invisible Sheppard, who had positioned himself next to the door (close to the wall) waited until the two were inside the cell before his quickly slipped outside, making sure that Snacks swiftly bounded out with him, before slamming the cell door shut and locking it while removing the set of keys attached to the cell door. Katrall, who was standing outside, stared in shock at seeing the cell door close by itself before the keys suddenly floated upwards and seemed to disappear from sight. Her male companion and the Wraith guard (now locked in the cell) rushed forward, weapons raised. All they saw was Katrall looking at them in astonishment and shock.

"The prisoner has escaped!" The Wraith guard hissed angrily. "We just can't see him!"

Katrall nodded, her astonishment turning to anger as understanding dawned. She started to swing out her long spear-like weapon randomly in the direction of the cell door. A lucky hit connected hard behind Sheppard's shoulder just as he was making his way towards the nameless Wraith's cell door. He managed to fling out the set of keys that he kept hidden in the folds of his jacket to the nameless Wraith (hoping that it had made it through the bars of the cell) before he went sprawling to the floor.

Feeling her weapon strike something solid at a place where there was nothing but air and hearing the sound of some one falling, Katrall gave out a solid shout of glee and began jabbing the pointed edge of her spear weapon down onto the floor again and again. The first one missed Sheppard by a hair's breath but the Colonel wasn't fast enough to escape her second strike and the sharp tip of the spear stabbed into his right thigh at almost exactly the same spot where Daffy had stabbed him while he was being tortured in the Hive ship. Fortunately, there were bandages around his thigh to blunt out some of its impact, not allowing the spear to go deep enough to totally incapacitate him. Nevertheless the wound still caused volcanic pain to explode in Sheppard's leg causing the pilot to lift his head back and scream.

A triumphant glow of victory shone on the Wraith worshipper's face at hearing her invisible foe's yowl of pain. "Think you could escape me, human vermin? Your death is mine!"

With gleeful malice, she pulled out her weapon to see red blood dripping out from its pointed edge. Grinning maniacally, she stared at it in triumph, clearly remembering the black eye that the dark haired prisoner had given her a few days ago. It was now a lovely a shade of yellowish green, making the skin around her eye look a little Wraith-like in appearance. She never forgot a grudge, or the fact that this prisoner had not fallen for her womanly charms for he had refused to provide her with the information that the Wraith wanted. Her vindictive nature wanted to see this one dead.

Sheppard was barely holding it all together now, feeling queasy through the torrent of agony in his wounded leg. He tried to scramble away from her; however, his bleeding leg was leaving a messy trail of blood on the floor, visible for all to see.

Katrall smiled, knowing that she had him where she wanted. Gloating, she told Sheppard that he was a dead man as she lifted her weapon to open fire. There was a howl and something small suddenly launched itself onto her leg sinking sharp teeth deep into her calf. She screamed when she saw the same Talmera that had attacked her earlier now stuck like a painful leech on her leg. She kicked and jiggled her leg around, trying to swing it off, but Snacks held on tight by its teeth refusing to budge as its tail and body swung in motion with her leg. Katrall's face screwed in pain as blood began to flow from her calf. Forgetting about Sheppard, she swung out her spear-like weapon towards the small furry creature with a bandaged wing, intending to hit it away or shoot it dead.

"_No!" _Sheppard cried out, terrified for his little friend. _Snacks let go! _His mind screamed the desperate command. He tried to get up but his wounded leg, which was bleeding heavily and throbbing with agonising pain, caved under him, making him fall flat on his face. As her finger pressed halfway down on the trigger, there was a fierce growl and a dark shadow launched itself on Katrall, ripping the weapon out from her grasp and throwing it on the floor. Her struggling body was then carried off to the far wall on the other side; Snacks quickly released its hold on her calf and went bounding off into the shadows. Katrall's screams could be heard as the nameless Wraith fed on her.

Energy shots rang out from the guard and Wraith worshipper still locked in Sheppard's cell. A few shots hit close to the nameless Wraith and narrowly missed Sheppard. The Colonel wasn't sure whether the other Wraith had been hit but he couldn't worry about that now. Despite the agonising pain in his thigh, Sheppard reached for Katrall's dropped weapon and shot at the prisoners in the cell, watching them strike their targets with satisfaction. From the corner of his eye, he saw the nameless Wraith flick a glance his way (or at least at his seemingly floating Wraith staff weapon), before it returned to its feeding. Katrall screams were turning very weak now and Sheppard had to turn away, feeling nauseous and unable to stomach what he knew was happening back there. He steeled himself, acknowledging the bitter truth of the Wraith's words when they were prisoners of Kolya's – in order to survive, it needed to feed – it was part of being Wraith. At the end of the day, it was better her than him: he knew that given the chance, Katrall would have happily seen both of them dead; in fact, if it weren't for the Wraith and Snacks, the Wraith worshiper would have killed him. Katrall was a traitor of her own kind but it didn't mean that he was happy about it.

Sitting, or more accurately, collapsing down, he removed a pressure bandage from his pocket and examined his leg wound. The stab seemed deep and was bleeding heavily (which was why he was starting to feel light-headed and faint) but he didn't think that it had hit bone; he figured that he should still be able to walk with it, even though it would be hell to do so. Gritting his teeth, he secured the bandage firmly through the throbbing mess of his injured limp. The effort left his entire body trembling and drenched in sweat. When his vision cleared and his dizziness eased off slightly, he used the Wraith weapon as an aid to stand up and lean on in order to support his wounded leg. He knew what he had to do as he hobbled back to his cell. Unlocking it, he bent down to retrieve the weapons from the dead bodies of the Wraith guard and Wraith worshiper.

The blade, he kept in the sheath of his boot where his previous blade had been before it was removed. The other spare spear-like energy weapon, he carried for the nameless Wraith. He stood there for a moment, resting as well as regaining his equilibrium, while he wondered where Snacks had headed off to. It wasn't long before he heard the Wraith approaching him.

"Sheppard?"

"Here," he replied wearily.

Detecting his voice, the Wraith approached closer. "How bad is your wound?"

Sheppard sensed concern in its tone. The Wraith, he saw, was standing a few paces from him. He looked down and saw the trail of blood he had left on the corridor floor, right until he had applied the pressure bandage to the wound.

"I'll … manage," he answered, as he tossed the weapon he had retrieved to the other.

"You … okay?" he asked, frowning when he spotted the Wraith's stiff motion and noticed a wound at the Wraith's upper arm. It looked like the Wraith hadn't escaped the earlier shoot out unharmed.

The green face gave him a somewhat amused look as it stared at the seeming floating-on-air wraith staff weapon that now stood in front of it. Knowing that an invisible Sheppard was holding it, the Wraith replied, "I received but a drop of water to ease the hunger that still burns deep within me. I need more than that in order to fully regain my strength."

"That b-bad, huh?" Sheppard quipped sarcastically, knowing from the evidence of its injury that the Wraith hadn't had enough life force to self-heal itself, which was a worry. "Well, just so …you d-don't snack on me."

"Snacks?" the Wraith replied, looking confused.

Sheppard shook his head and chuckled. "No… not Snacks, n-not the Talmera. Just snack, as in a bit of food to ease off hunger."

"Ah, I see," the Wraith replied with a bemused look now. Sheppard however wondered whether it actually got it.

---

They were making good headway. So far, they had encountered two more groups of Wraith and Wraith worshipers and had managed to subdue them without sustaining further injuries. On both occasions, there had been Wraith worshipers whom they had been forced to kill before the nameless Wraith could feed on them. The little Talmera, which had been following them, gave them ample warning each time before they encountered anyone unexpected. But even if Snacks wasn't around, Sheppard felt sure that he would be able to detect them as his body would suddenly surge with unnatural energy and vitality, informing him that more Wraiths were nearby. His body was like a double edged sword, for such strength allowed him to fight them better, but when they died, he felt as if a part of him died with them too as great amounts of energy would immediately drain out from him to the point where it he felt nauseous and weak. He knew that there was an advantage of having the nameless Wraith with him, but being in a weakened state itself, the Wraith did not seem to generate as much as strength as their foes.

Leaving the dungeons behind, they soon found themselves in a maze of corridors going in several directions. Sheppard wasn't concerned as the Wraith seemed to know which way to go as it led him to the more isolated area of the building. Often Snacks would come back to check up on them, running back and forth, sometimes giving out soft excited chirps as if to say " Follow me, the coast is clear". Occasionally, it would zip through various holes scattered about in the darkened corridor walls. Its copper brown eyes glittered in excitement as if it knew that they were making their escape. It seemed considerably lively for a Talmera that had broken its wing and Sheppard wondered whether it was on a sugar-high from the large chunk of powerbar that it had recently consumed.

So far, the Wraith and Snacks seemed to want to go to the same direction and Sheppard was happy enough for them to lead the way. The further they got top side, the more careful the Wraith became. On three occasions, it would abruptly stop Sheppard to point out some energy-beam tripwire concealed on the wall of the corridor. They were high enough for Snacks to cross through without causing any problems, but a human or Wraith could easily activate them if they didn't know it was there. Sheppard wondered how the Wraith knew of their existence but he kept his own counsel, saving his strength for their escape.

Finally, he had to ask, "How… m-much longer?" He was breathing heavily now and stumbling more often than not. His injury was taking a toll on him. Occasionally too he saw the Wraith slow down as if to catch its breath. While he was still invisible, the Wraith was not deaf and could hear each faltering step and stumble that he took. At one intercession, the Wraith had to stop and ask, "Are you going to make it, Sheppard?"

To which he replied, "I'll… make it, j-just make sure… you do too."

He was not blind to the Wraith's own weakened state. The Wraith was correct when it told him that feeding on Kattral's lifeforce wasn't enough to strengthen it. So saying, Sheppard and the Wraith both pushed on, determined not to let the other down. Snacks, oblivious to it all, followed happily at their feet.

Trouble arrived when Snacks suddenly froze, its hackles rising in tensed warning of the approaching enemy. Sheppard too sensed it with the surge of energy that ran through his body, lending him strength; he felt revitalised as never before. He sensed three of them: Wraiths, rather than Wraith worshippers this time. The humans were easier to deal with and he knew that they would have a fight in their hands.

Looking at the Wraith beside him, he whispered, "Is there a-any other way out?"

The Wraith shook its head. "This is the only exit, after this, we should be out relatively soon. There is not far to go, perhaps another fifteen minutes."

Sheppard checked his Wraith staff weapon, making sure it was set on kill. Okay, so the odds weren't really in their favour, but it had to be good enough. He'll be damned if they gave up now. He volunteered to approach them first, perhaps to try and disarm them as they couldn't see him, but the Wraith shook its head stating that they would be able to hear him a mile away with his shuffling walk. Sheppard argued the point; they would hear his footsteps but they wouldn't be able to see him so they might not open fire. To his surprise, the Wraith was not willing to take the risk, stating that they should rush them instead.

In the end, Snacks took the decision out of their hands by bounding forward, as if it knew that they needed a distraction. When the Wraiths started shooting at it, Sheppard and the nameless Wraith both rushed out with their weapons blasting. The Wraith led the way as Sheppard couldn't go fast with his leg wound. However, in spite of it, his aim remained just as deadly and he managed to drop the Wraith at the far left corner. He had always been a good sharp shooter and this was one occasion where it was put to good use. After all, being invisible had its merits – most of the Wraiths attention was focused on the charging Wraith in front of them rather than the less obvious floating Wraith staff weapon in the darkened corridor.

Things were going well until Sheppard saw the nameless Wraith stagger as it took a hit by a Wraith blaster. However, the Wraith did not fall but continued to shoot at its attacker, hitting its target a second later. Two down, one to go! Perhaps there was a chance for them after all! He saw the remaining Wraith launch itself on his Wraith friend. Aiming his staff-like weapon, he pressed the trigger and blasted the attacking Wraith before it reached his Wraith friend.

For a moment, he thought that the nameless Wraith was okay, but a heartbeat later, he saw it slowly collapse to the ground while clutching its side_. No! Damn it!_ They were going to make it out of here, all of them! He wasn't going back to that damn lab; he wanted to go home! Back to Atlantis! Back to his team, back to his friends, back to where he belonged!

Hot razor cuts of pain stabbed through his thigh with each hurried step that he took towards the nameless Wraith. Perspiration leaked down from his body and his heart thudded painfully. Even from where he was, he could hear the other breathing erratically as it clutched its wounded side hard with its hand. _Dammit! _From what he managed to see of the charred flesh on the Wraith's side, the injury didn't look good. He was half way there when he sensed another surge of energy close by. Swinging around, he saw a fourth Wraith warrior approaching the nameless Wraith at a run.

He swung up his weapon up again. However, this time when he pulled the trigger, all it gave was a pathetic frizzle before dying out entirely. _Oh, this is soooo not happening! _Frustration swelled and rage bit deep. It looked like his weapon had finally run out of power, which really sucked big time. Where was Lady Luck when you needed her?! Sheppard knew that he had to act fast otherwise the nameless Wraith would soon be toast. Without thinking, he dashed forward, ignoring the screams of his leg. Using his weapon like a wooden staff, he swung it hard, knocking the Wraith's weapon from its hand before it could use it on its intended target. _Whoa! It really worked!_ Surprised at his success, Sheppard reminded himself to thank Teyla for teaching him that move. The Wraith before him was looking stunned and astonished to see a floating Wraith spear-weapon attacking him.

But his forward momentum and element of surprise didn't last long for the Wraith recovered quickly from its shock. Knowing that there was someone whom it couldn't see, it struck out fast and furiously. By some dumb luck (or misfortune on Sheppard's part) the Wraith's attack struck against the personal cloak device ripping it from his jacket. As he materialised in front of the Wraith, his next sensation was a steel blade sinking deep into his right side, going through jacket, shirt, flesh and rib. The Wraith before him grinned maliciously as it pulled the blade out from his side viciously. Sheppard screamed, all strength leaving his body as he dropped to the floor like a puppet that had its strings cut. As the Wraith moved to plunge the blade into him again, he saw Snacks moving like lighting once again, shrieking out an angry howl, scrambling up the Wraith's feet, moving up its body and reaching its neck. Once there, it bit down hard at the sinews of the green neck. The little Talmera had gone for the kill.

Enraged beyond thought, the Wraith gave a tremendous roar as it reached for the furry body with its hands, ripped out the Talmera from its bleeding neck and threw it at the wall. Unable to fly Snacks hit the wall with a sickening thud and lay still. _Nooo!!! _Dazed and only half conscious with pain-filled tears leaking down the sides of his eyes, Sheppard dully watched as the Wraith staggered and knelt beside him, drawing his wrist back to plunge its feeding hand onto his chest. However, just as its hand reached him, the Wraith jerked backwards as several blaster shots slammed into its back. A momentary look of surprise flitted across its features before they glazed over in death and the Wraith's body toppled forward.

Sheppard didn't have the strength to move away as he was suddenly slammed by a dead Wraith's heavy body before everything went black.

---

To be continued

A little Snacks history (for those who are interested)

As a number of you mentioned Snacks in your comments, so here's a little background of how the little fella came about. When I first started this, I originally intended to focus on the relationship between the nameless Wraith and Sheppard. Truth be told, Snacks didn't even exist, he was actually a last minute entry. But being a sneaky and cunning critter that he is, he somehow snuck his way into the story line at the twelfth hour. After Shep's torture scene, I figured that Sheppard really needed a little friend to boost his spirits (and maintain his sanity) – animals can often be great companions especially for someone hurting, confused and isolated as Sheppard was.

In the lab scene (where Snacks steals the shiny device), the original plan was for Sheppard to cause a ruckus distracting his captors and while the Wraiths were busy subduing him, the nameless Wraith (who also happens to be a prisoner and witness there) manages to steal the cloaking device for Sheppard (after Daffy discovers that Sheppard has the ATA gene). But as you guys see, when I wrote it, it didn't turn out that way at all – Snacks being the mischievous rascal that he is, somehow wormed his way into the plot and the chapter came out not the way I expected. Talk about cheeky bugger!

One of you also mentioned that Snacks is like a ferret. That's a great observation as that's exactly how I see his personality. After all, in his description, he has a body of a ferret, so it's only logical that he also has the same personality to boot! So, just imagine a ferret with wings. :D.

However, this brings me to a question, would most of you have preferred my original version (Wraith and Sheppard, very little of Snacks) or the version that we have here?


	11. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

_To the kind people who answered my question and provided a review, thanks all so much! Snacks is ecstatic__ that he's loved and is giving everyone lots of tail wags :) Apologies for the late update. I now have family from overseas visiting and staying with me this week so I have been busy playing tour guide and haven't had much time for writing. _  
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**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 18**

The Wraith quickly pushed the dead Wraith's body away from Sheppard's prone, unmoving form. For a few lengthening heartbeats he thought that he was too late, that the human under the other Wraith was also dead. Then he saw the slow rise and fall of the human's chest indicating that the man lying there still breathed. An overwhelming sense of relief flooded through him at the discovery that Sheppard was still alive. In the short time that he had come to know the human, a sense of respect and tentative friendship had formed between them. They still had much to learn from one another and the Wraith looked forward to it.

As he clutched his wounded side and the recently fired Wraith weapon, he had been all too aware that the human, Sheppard, had saved his life while taking an injury in the process. The human was proving that he was more like his Wraith brethrens; those who would willingly risk life and limb to save one of their own. There was honour among Wraith and especially in the warrior's code of conduct and Sheppard, by his actions, had demonstrated himself worthy indeed to be called 'brother' and to receive the Gift of Life.

When Sheppard had refused to trade with the one called Kolya, the Wraith had sensed immediately that this one was different from all the others. Never before in all the years of his long imprisonment on the Genii world had a human chosen the horrors to be fed upon over trading his life at a cost of another. All the other human prisoners that Kolya had captured had ultimately given in to the Genii's demands, especially after they experienced the first feeding. But not Sheppard, in fact the human had ordered his kind not to give Kolya what he wanted and that action had caught the Wraith's attention.

Even when the human was suffering through his third feeding, the Wraith had seen in Sheppard's eyes only stubborn defiance. He recognised that the human before him was a warrior who was not afraid to face his own death, despite the anger and agony that he read in the other's gaze. He _knew _then that he could not kill this human – a warrior far more worthy of respect and honour than the one who held the both of them prisoners. It was his defiance to Kolya, his unwavering faith in his people, and his desire for escape (and for living) that had the Wraith stopping the final feeding process on his own accord, forcing his hand to jerk back despite his body's need to continue consuming until the human was nothing but dust.

"_Who told you to stop?_" the one called Kolya had demanded.

"_He is near death. Shall I finish him?_" he had replied; the half-lie had come easily to his lips. He needed Sheppard strong enough to attempt an escape; he could not take more than he had already done. So he had arrived to a decision; he would rather form an alliance with that human prisoner and perhaps die in an escape attempt than continue with his pitiful existence without hope and a warrior's honour. The human named Sheppard had taught him what it was like to be a warrior again and for the first time in a long time he had begun to look forward to escape, even if it was to just see the sky again. No one, in all his long years as Kolya's prisoner had ever done that before.

Looking at the injured and unconscious human now, he knew that he had to personally ensure that Sheppard made it out of this complex alive. He had originally planned to follow Sheppard three quarters of the way to the exit, before giving him instructions for the rest of the way. Then he intended to head back to the labs to get the information that he needed. However, with the human now seriously injured, that plan would have to wait for another more appropriate time.

His attention went to the human's injuries, scrutinising the human's bleeding side. A worried furrow marred his features. The wound was deep and Sheppard was bleeding heavily which was not a good sign; it only heightened his concern. Searching through the human's pockets, he found some bandages which he efficiently used on the wound. His human companion made no motion or sound, informing the Wraith on the severity of the injury. When he was done, his hand went to his own injured side, feeling the savage pain that spiked deep within him. He had not fed enough for self regeneration but he was familiar with Wraith blaster shots and knew that while the injury was painful, it would not be enough to incapacitate him, not yet anyway. However, he knew that he needed nourishment soon. Hunger raged deep in him and his feeding hand shook at the thought of nourishment that was so close within reach. Almost of its own accord, his hand reached out, fingers extended wide, towards the unconscious form of Sheppard's chest. He _wanted _to feed, he _needed _to feed, all he had to do was stretch out his hand and take his fill...

With a growl of self-denial, he shook his head, his feeding hand now clasping into a tight fist and with a force of will, he pushed it back close to his chest. He hissed loudly in frustration. '_No! Not this one!' _he told himself. He looked away to scan the surrounding area instead. A few paces ahead of him, close to a wall, he saw Snack's limp little form lying motionless on the ground.

Getting up, he approached it and placed a green hand on its soft fur, finding evidence of a pulse still beating strong in the Talmera. His mouth curved upwards in a smile, noting with satisfaction that it was still alive. He tried to tell himself that he was pleased not because he was becoming fond of Snacks but because it would make Sheppard happy that it too had survived. He wondered how long the human would keep it alive before he consumed it. There were many things that he didn't understand about humans and this was one of them. He did not understand why Sheppard had showed such fondness for a creature if he intended to eat it later. It seemed out of character for Sheppard and he wondered about the strangeness of humans.

Gathering the small limp furry body gently into his hands, he looked around, searching for something to carry it in. His gaze went to the dead Wraith's body and he discovered an old leather-like pouch hidden in one of its pocket. Picking it up, he opened it to discover some energy cartridges for the Wraith weapon. Smiling to himself, the Wraith pocketed them before placing Snacks limp body inside the pouch, ensuring that its wings were tugged comfortably and securely inside, while it left its head hanging out. He then tied the pouch securely around Sheppard's belt loop, ensuring that it wouldn't fall off. With a grunt of effort, the Wraith bent down to lift Sheppard's unconscious form over one shoulder. The Wraith was surprised to discover that the human weighed quite a bit despite his lean form. Once he had a firm hold on the unconscious man, he reloaded his Wraith staff weapon, while carrying another one and continued his journey silently onwards.

---

The first sensation that Sheppard felt upon awakening was pain, agonising wish-you-were-dead kinda pain. It was becoming way too old, for it almost seemed he had forgotten what it was like to be pain-free. He must have moved or made a groan, he wasn't sure which, but suddenly he found an unfamiliar rough hand on his shoulder, shaking him awake. He wondered who it was, it certainly wasn't Teyla, definitely wasn't Rodney, and felt too strange to be Ronon.

Then he heard the harsh, raspy voice call his name and his eyes snapped open, only to have a moment of sheer panic when he sighted the shadowed green face of a Wraith hovering close above him. He jerked back, with a shout on his lips, trying to scramble backwards, away from the feeding hand which would surely be seeking his life. His chest started to hammer in agony, feeling phantom pains from numerous feedings he would rather forget.

The other must have sensed his fear for it immediately removed his hand from his shoulder while at the same time, saying "Ah, Sheppard, I did not mean to startle you. Rest easy, I will not harm you."

It took a while for his brain to register the words and for him to recognise the Wraith as the nameless Wraith: Kolya's Wraith. When he finally did, he felt suddenly weak with relief and his body snagged down again, breathing rapidly.

Once he was calmer, he took the opportunity to study his surroundings. He noticed that they were no longer in the Wraith facility; it looked like the nameless Wraith had somehow successfully managed their escape. They were now in a small clearing of a wooden forest; the Wraith's dark form leaning against the bark of a large tree truck. The cool night air felt cold to his perspiring skin and his skin felt clammy to the touch. He knew that he was suffering from the early stages of shock.

A few stars twinkled in the dark sky and he sensed that in a few hours, it would be soon dawn. He wondered how long he had been out.

"Ah, Sheppard, how are you feeling?" The Wraith moved forward to squat beside him; its reptilian eyes alert and glittering in the star light.

"Like crap," he replied honestly. There was no need to lie to the Wraith. He looked around his dark surroundings, wondering where Snacks was. The memory of seeing the little critter being flung hard against the wall came to mind. Worry and anxiety for the winged beast sprang forward. Somehow, the Wraith must have sensed his concern, for it quickly untied something on his left hip and placed it close to his face while it activated a small lighted device in its hand.

"I took it with us," the Wraith informed him as it cupped the unconscious Talmera with one hand, showing it to Sheppard.

Sheppard lifted his head and looked at Snacks' still form with concern. He then shot a gaze at the familiar green face now lighted eerily by the golden light of the globe that it held in its hand. He saw the green face studying him. He wondered how well could the Wraith see in the dark. Probably, with reptilian-like eyes, fairly well. He knew that it was providing the light probably for his sake. Sheppard gave it a wry smile and nodded gratefully while pursing his lips together. The Wraith obviously knew that he had a soft spot for Snacks and there was not much that he could do about it.

"Is it b-badly … injured?" he finally asked.

The Wraith shrugged. "It still lives." It turned to watch Sheppard intently. "Sheppard, do you hope to consume it later if it does not survive?"

The question took Sheppard by surprise. "What?"

The Wraith turned the Talmera around to look at it while it looked puzzled. "You named it Snacks… you mentioned that it meant 'food'? Therefore I assumed that at some point of time, you wished to consume it."

Sheppard broke into a chuckle and instantly regretted it when he was hit by an iron-hot wave of stabbing pain at his side.

When he got his breath back again, he replied, "No… I do n-not wish to consume it. W-we do not … c-consume our friends" He hoped that the Wraith got the message. The Wraith, he was pleased to note, gently placed Snacks next to his uninjured side before nodding.

Sheppard lifted a hand and scratched the top of Snacks' warm fuzzy neck. _Be okay, buddy_, he thought silently to his little friend. He refused to think that the Talmera would not be otherwise. They were buddies. No, Snacks would be all right once he got it back to Atlantis. Even if he had to badger or threaten Carson to fix its wing and mend whatever injuries that it had sustained from trying to save his life. He owed Snacks that much. For a moment he wondered whether Weir would allow him to keep it. He decided to fight tooth and nail with her on this; he promised himself that at the end of the day, he would convince Elizabeth to allow Snacks to stay in Atlantis. After all, who in their right minds wouldn't fall in love with the cute winged critter? Besides, he never left his people behind and he now considered Snacks as one of them. He owed the little critter his life; the least he could do was to give the Talmera a new home.

The Wraith's soft chuckles brought Sheppard's attention back to the situation at hand. It obviously understood him well. "Ah, Sheppard, it was not my choice," it stated solemnly. "If the need was not great, I would not have done what I did"

"I … know," Sheppard replied uneasily, remembering how Kolya had used both of them as a bargaining tool in hopes to get Weir to give the Genii want he wanted. He remembered ordering Weir not to give in to Kolya's demands. He knew that the Wraith was as much a victim of Kolya's as he was.

He felt weak and tired; pain currently radiated out from his wounded side where he had been stabbed. Looking down, he noticed that a bandage had been placed at the site of his wound.

"I found your people's dressing and applied it on you," the Wraith explained, obviously noticing his gaze. "It is sufficient?"

"It's … g-good," he replied, feeling surprised once again by the Wraith's kindness.

"Tell me Sheppard, why did you risk your life for mine?" the Wraith asked curiously. "You had the personal cloak, you could have escaped without injury if you so wished."

Sheppard looked at the Wraith, recalling back to the event of when he saw the Wraith injured and about to be killed by the other Wraith. Their gazes locked and he replied as honestly as he could. "I could … n-not s-stand by… and watched a friend … be killed."

The Wraith stared at him for a long time. "Friend?" it finally asked softly.

Good question, he had wondered about it himself. He remembered his last words to the Wraith when he had left it on the Wraith world: _All bets are off_. But somehow in their experience and fight for survival together, a bond had been created between them. Was it even possible for a human to befriend a Wraith, with that human _not _being a Wraith worshiper? It looked like he was about to find out.

"I… I would … like to t-think so." He frowned once again at the stutter. Ever since Daffy had placed that alien device in his head, it had affected his speech making him sound like Forest Gump. He hated it when he heard himself doing that; he felt out of control and it reminded him that he was still being controlled by that damn Wraith. Daffy the Wraith topped high on his list of 'dead', the same with Kolya.

The Wraith said nothing but only nodded.

"So… do y-you have a … n-name?" Sheppard finally asked. Once before, not so long ago, he had asked this Wraith the same question and it had informed him that it had forgotten. But Sheppard knew that he couldn't always refer to him 'the nameless Wraith'. It was about time he knew what to call it.

Because this Wraith was a friend, or if not a friend, then at least an ally, he could not name it as he regularly named all other Wraiths as a means to assert his authority and control over them. This Wraith had helped him, given him back his life, helped him escape from prison not once, but twice; it deserved more than to be given one of Sheppard's common made-up names. It deserved to be called by its own name.

The Wraith paused as it studied Sheppard with great intensity, its eyes unreadable in many aspects.

"Ah, my name …" it stated solemnly. "My people do not reveal our names especially to those not of our kind. We believe that it gives the other power over them. With my name you could bring about not only my death, but that of my family, my brethren, my clan, that is, if you were caught and interrogated by another Wraith from another fraction. It is a great responsibility to bear, Sheppard. So I ask you again, do you still wish to know my name?"

Sheppard thought about it then shook his head. With the alien device still implanted in his head, he did not trust himself not to betray the Wraith if he were caught again. After all, he still clearly recalled how he had shouted out his own name over and over again. The memory filled him with shame and disgust that he had been unable to stop himself and fight against the implant in his brain. If Daffy interrogated him again and asked him the Wraith's name, could he stop himself from revealing it? Doubts began to plague him. He did not trust himself, which was the worst thing of all. As long as he still had that damn device implanted in his head, he was a liability and he knew it.

With a sigh and a worried frown, he shook his head. He knew that what the Wraith said made sense; it was better if he didn't know. The saying of '_information is power'_ was certainly true, but in this case, he would rather not have it. After all he did not wish to inadvertently cause the Wraith and its family and brethren harm. It was the last thing that he wanted on his conscience; he had already enough to deal with without adding another to the list.

The Wraith nodded and seemed pleased with his response. "You are a true friend then," he replied. "However, if you need to call me something, then you may call me, Lf'wyne."

Sheppard frowned. "Lf'wyne?" he repeated the unusual sounding name.

The Wraith smiled. "It means 'brother' in Wraith. Ever since my capture and resulting escape from the Genii, I think myself as such whenever I am with you, John Sheppard."

---

To be continued


	12. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

_You guys will be happy to know that I managed to sneak in some time to pen a new chapter amidst visiting relatives during their day out shopping :D A number of you wanted to know how to pronounce the Wraith's name Lf'wyne. It's pronounced as "Lef-wine" taken as a derivative of "Leofwine", which is an Anglo-Saxon masculine name, meaning "dear friend." __However, I think 'brother' works better as the Wraith in CG mentiones brethen and brother. __I wanted an unusual sounding name for the Wraith as I figured that the name would have to be well… strange.  
_

_Also, Stealth Dragon has done an incredibly accurate portrait of Snacks that I love and adore! Check out her link to her LJ given in her profile page if you're interested to see what Snacks looks like! She did an amazing job!_ _Thanks a bundle, Stealth! _:D

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 19**

After resting for a while, Sheppard insisted on walking again, hoping to get as far away from the Wraith experimental labs as possible. Lf'wyne could see that the thought of returning back to the labs again terrified the human. He knew that Sheppard was not afraid to die but that he was afraid of betraying those whom he cared about. The Wraith understood that feeling well enough.

Sheppard could barely walk but one thing that the Wraith came to recognise about this human was that he was stubborn, as stubborn as his first born and only son, who had been lost in the great wars long ago. He quietly watched as the human warrior gently placed Snacks back in the leather pouch and tied it to his belt loop; his hand gently stroking the furry neck of the unconscious Talmera's while his lips pursed in worry. Then the human's gaze turned towards him and with stubborn, glittering eyes, he said, "Lf'wyne… h-help … me … up."

The Wraith noticed once again Sheppard frowning as he stuttered on the words. The Wraith experiments had obviously left its mark on the human and it wasn't for the better.

"Ah, Sheppard, you are not strong enough for such a journey," he protested. "I fear that I am unable to carry you further. My strength also fails me; perhaps it is best if we die here. At least we get to see the sky again." His words were automatic; after all, he was weary and his body was hurting from his various wounds. He had pushed himself harshly to get Sheppard out from the Wraith worshipers' complex. How he longed to lie down and never wake up again. Perhaps it was for the best if they both died under the night skies while they still had their freedom.

He saw the human Sheppard frowning at him with disapproval. "I… t-told… you… once b-before, don't be so … n-negative!" he chided, his eyes sparkling with defiance. However, the Wraith could see that Sheppard was obviously hurting; he looked barely able to stand himself but this was the same man he remembered in Kolya's cell, the human was too stubborn to give up.

Amused, Lf'wyne chuckled softly, recalling a similar instance when Sheppard had said those same words to him on another world. For a brief time, he had forgotten about Sheppard's fierce will to survive, his eternal optimism, his strong determination to return to his own people once he set his mind to it.

"So… h-how far … is the Stargate?"

Lf'wyne felt growing admiration. Once again, he could see why he was fond of this human. No matter how dire the situation was, Sheppard would always continue on, retaining hope, until his dying breath. In turn, he could do no less. He would not fail the warrior, the one whom he considered 'brother'. So he nodded.

"It is still quite a distance away. Perhaps, a day's journey on foot."

A small frown marred the human warrior's face as he contemplated it. "A … day, huh?"

"Yes," the Wraith replied; then he had to ask the question, if only to hear the assurance of Sheppard himself, "Do you think we can make it?"

"We'll… m-make it," he replied, the words sounding positive. However, even so, the Wraith detected the hidden doubt in the human's voice. He knew then that even if they didn't make it, Sheppard would prefer to die attempting the feat rather than to sit there waiting for death to claim them. So he nodded and reached out a hand to help the human to his feet.

For a moment they stood together, both swaying slightly; Sheppard swaying more so than Ly'wyne. The Wraith noted that what little colour the human had was quickly draining from his face. The human beside him was also biting his bottom lip hard in order not to cry out in agony. The bandages that he had ministered on Sheppard's wounded side also appeared stained with blood. He wondered whether the human was bleeding again.

As Sheppard held on tightly to his shoulder, Lf'wyne could feel the unnatural heat radiating out from the other's body. It appeared that Sheppard was also suffering from a high fever. It didn't bore well for Sheppard. '_Ah, my brother,_' he silently thought to himself, '_you shame me with your perseverance. It shall be my honour to die beside you.' _

If Sheppard knew what he was thinking, he knew that the human would be chiding him again, but he could not help himself. He truly wondered whether they could make it to the Stargate sorely injured as they were, but this time, he kept his doubts to himself.

---

They had been walking (or more accurately, stumbling in a drunken kind of gait) for about an hour or two when Sheppard finally called for a halt, requesting that they rest for a while. Lf'wyne could see that Sheppard was close to collapsing. In fact, he had been amazed that his human brother had lasted as long as he did on the journey so far.

Panting rapidly himself and glad that they were stopping at last, he helped Sheppard to the ground, to lean beside a rocky boulder. The human winced painfully and gasped for breath at the effort to bend down to sit on the ground. Once he was seated, the first thing Sheppard did was the check on the injured Talmera.

"How is it?" the Wraith asked.

"S-still … u-unconscious," Sheppard replied worriedly. "He… s-should be … awake by now."

The Wraith shrugged. "Perhaps it is for the best that it remains asleep. Sleep after all heals the body."

Sheppard nodded and gave a tentative smile at his words. "N-now … you r-remind me … of Carson Beckett."

Like a silent sentry on guard duty, Lf'wyne quietly watched as Sheppard's eyelids drooped and he sank into unconsciousness again while having Snacks tugged protectively at the crook of his arm. So far the little Talmera had not woken up and he knew that this worried Sheppard greatly. The Wraith spent another minute or so watching the unconscious human, noticing his unnaturally pale complexion, the sweat that beaded his forehead and his shallow breathing. With a painful grimace while clutching his own wounded side, the Wraith moved closer to Sheppard and placed the back of his palm to the side of Sheppard's forehead. It was just a brief touch, but from the heat that radiated off the human's skin it was enough to tell him that Sheppard still burned with an unnatural fever.

Lf'wyne made a low guttural noise at the back of his throat and turned to look in the direction of where the Stargate was. Sheppard wanted to go there but the further away they travelled from the other Wraiths, the more the human's condition deteriorated. Already, he could tell that life was slowly ebbing from the human body as he felt it in himself. Yet throughout their journey so far, Sheppard had made no complaint but directed his focus on trying to reach their destination. When he finally called for the halt, Lf'wyne could tell that Sheppard had pushed himself far beyond his body's endurance. It was the reason why the human fell unconscious so fast.

He had seen the experiments done on other human prisoners on this world, those less injured than Sheppard: all had died as soon as they reached far enough from the Wraiths' presence that controlled them. Before his capture, from his hidden position a reasonable distance away, he had witnessed through his spy device how the Wraiths on this world had conducted experiments on their human prisoners. The human experimental subjects were taken to the forest, tied to trees, and left there while the Wraiths went away. They wanted to see what would happen to the test subjects when the Wraiths were far away from their human prisoners. The results hadn't been a pleasant sight to behold.

He had been too far away to hear the screams of the human subjects but he was able to witness them through the monitor of his spy device as they writhed in agony while their bodies started to shut down from whatever had been done to them. After they had died, he had approached the scene in secret and done a quick examination of the dead humans (before the other Wraiths arrived back). He discovered many of them bleeding from the nose and ears, their dead faces contorted in agony while their bodies released poisons inside them. Even for a Wraith, he had felt sickened at the needless suffering that the humans had gone through. He did not wish for Sheppard to encounter the same fate. Already he had witnessed the worrying nose bleed that Sheppard tried to hide from him. He knew that his presence there was providing some help to the human in maintaining his well being, but he wondered whether it would be enough. Being a prisoner here had taken a toll on him and Sheppard hadn't been the only one to experience the experiments of the scientist Wraith. Lf'wyne suspected that his presence near Sheppard wasn't as helpful to the human as the rest of the other Wraiths, after what had been done to him. Yet, he was still grateful to note that the link between them when he had shared the Gift of Life with Sheppard had not been severed. He suspected that it was only thing that was keeping Sheppard still alive without his body shutting down completely from the poisons of the device implanted in him.

Yet, even as he stared down at Sheppard's unconscious form, hunger stirred deep within him and his body trembled with a yearning to feed on the helpless human. He remembered the sweet essence of Sheppard's life-force. It had been stronger than all the other humans that he had fed upon in his lifetime. Watching Sheppard now while he burned with hunger was like a mental and a physical torture for Lf'wyne, a temptation almost too tangible to resist.

With a hiss of anger, he turned away, refusing to remember the nourishment of Sheppard's life-force. Better to be away from the temptation than to dishonour himself, Lf'wyne thought bitterly. With a low guttural growl of frustration, Lf'wyne wearily stumbled hurriedly away, clutching his side tightly while grimacing in pain. No matter how tired he was, he needed to be away from Sheppard for he did not trust himself not to do what his body carved for. Picking up a long sturdy branch, he used it as a support to lean on, deciding that he needed to clear his mind while he used the time to check out their surroundings.

The pre-dawn air and the sweet smell of freedom allowed him to calm down, pushing his mind away from the hunger in his belly and from his traitorous thoughts. It had been a long time indeed since he had last seen the stars and breathed the clean air of freedom. He looked up at the sky and smiled. It was good to see the stars again.

---

He had been returning to where he had left Sheppard and Snacks, when his head suddenly snapped up and his eyes began to scan the surrounding forest urgently. He sensed the approach of Wraith worshipers; they were obviously searching for the escaped prisoners or more accurately Sheppard. The fact that there was no Wraith with them meant that they expected Sheppard to be weakened by the distance that he had placed between himself and the Wraith. They must have thought that both Wraith and human prisoner had gone their separate ways after the escape, for in their minds it was inconceivable for human and Wraith to work together, especially if the other wasn't a Wraith worshiper.

The Wraith noted that the Wraith worshipers were making their way stealthy towards where Sheppard and Snacks were. The Wraith frowned as it clutched its wounded side, knowing what he had to do as he hurried back to where he left Sheppard. When he finally reached the injured human, he stared down at the man, feeling regret that he would have to do what he had been trying to avoid all along. Sheppard was in no condition for a fight and neither was he, that is, if he didn't feed. He knew that Sheppard would not want it, in all possibility he might even see it as a betrayal, but he had no choice in the matter and if he didn't act soon, they would both be dead either now or later in the labs. Once before, he had been faced with a similar choice and he made the same decision as he did then. It would be more merciful if Sheppard did not awake this time and besides, he did not have the time to explain.

"Forgive me, Sheppard," he whispered, feeling true regret as he stretched out his feeding hand onto the unconscious human's chest, while the other hand gently removed Snacks from Sheppard's side. In his mind, he silently pleaded, '_Stay asleep, my brother…'_

---

Sheppard roused, feeling strange hands touching him, removing something soft and furry from his side. _Snacks?_ he silently uttered, his mind dazed and fuzzy and not fully conscious yet.

Then he heard a dark guttural yet familiar voice say, "Forgive me, Sheppard."

Puzzled, he forced his heavy eyelids to open. He saw the Wraith –_ Lf'wyne _– the name sprang to mind, bending over him. He had seen that look in the Wraith's eyes before and his eyes widened in horror and panic, knowing what was about to happen. _No! No! Not again! _his mind screamed in denial, not wanting to experience the horrors of being fed upon again. One way or another, he wanted this nightmare to end.

He had no time to fight or offer up any resistance as the hand suddenly slammed onto his chest. He caught a flash of regret and apology in the Wraith's eyes and then he flung his head backwards and his back arched from the hard ground as his chest burst into unbearable agony. With an agonised scream, he felt his life draining from him as the Wraith began to feed…

To be continued


	13. Chapter 20

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 20**

Sustenance, nourishment and strength flowed through his feeding hand. Never before had he fed upon one with so much strength; a human with such a strong will to survive that it nourished his body with the sweet essence of life. Sheppard, he realised, still had much fight left in him despite being sorely injured. His admiration and respect for the human grew. Sheppard was strong; stronger than any human that he had ever fed upon before. He wondered whether the Wraith experiments on the human had made his life-force more lasting and sweeter for the feeding. He had always remembered Shepard's life-force to be a wealth of strength, but this time, it tasted sweeter, seemingly giving him more strength and sustenance than he expected.

Yet even as he fed through necessity, he regretted the pain and suffering that he was causing as Sheppard writhed under his feeding hand, human head flung back as Lf'wyne consumed more of his life-force. _Forgive me, my brother, I will return what I have taken_, he promised. He hardened his heart and forced himself to continue feeding; but it was a task that he did with a heavy heart. Already, he could see that Sheppard was aging while in turn, he began to feel stronger, more alive; pretty soon he felt the wounds on his side and arm beginning to heal…

However, he had been monitoring the human's physical condition closely and before his own wounds were completely healed, he jerked his hand backwards away from Sheppard's chest, forcing himself to stop feeding before it was too late. He was still hungry, but it was a hunger which was no longer overwhelming. It was a hunger that he could deal with. While his wounds were not properly restored back to health, he felt strong enough to deal with the Wraith worshippers now.

Sheppard was no longer conscious; the strain of the feeding was too much for his already wounded and feverish body to handle. Looking down at the aged and wrinkled form, Lf'wyne felt a moment of anxiety and fear, wondering whether he had miscalculated. Had he gone too far and taken too much? He placed the other palm of his hand gently on the frail, blood stained and elderly chest. Below the thin, frail skin, beat an erratic and weak heartbeat. Sheppard was still alive but Lf'wyne knew the human would not last long now. He knew that he would have to act fast if the human were to continue surviving. Swiftly, he placed Snacks' unconscious form next to Sheppard again, making sure that the animal's furry head made some physical contact with the unconscious human's limp hand, hoping that the two unlikely friends could be some source of strength and comfort for one another.

"Ah, Sheppard, I shall not fail you," he promised, whispering the words aloud, despite knowing that the human could no longer hear him. "I shall return… do not die, my brother…"

The sound of feet thudding through the thick undergrowth snapped his attention and his head jerked up. The Wraith worshippers were close now. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared; he was eager now for the hunt. He gave a low guttural growl of anticipation. He knew that he was strong enough to fight them; he would make sure that enough Wraith worshippers were left alive for him to feed on. He would give back what he had taken and then some. _This_, he knew, he would enjoy. His lips curved upwards in a feral grin and without another glance at Sheppard's aged and dying form, he sprang forward; knowing now that he would feed well, promising himself that Sheppard's pain and agony would not be for nothing.

---

Sheppard gasped awake, feeling once more an intense fire in his chest as a Wraith feeding hand pressed upon him and agony surged through him. He opened his mouth and screamed in pain. _This is it, it's come back to finish the job_, he thought to himself. Somewhere along the way, the scream lessened and his conscious mind became aware that _life _was being restored to his body amidst the intense torment of forces flooding through his chest.

_Be still, Sheppard, I am returning what I have taken; soon you will grow stronger, younger… _The Wraith's voice sounded in his mind.

Strength, energy and vitality flowed through him as the years stolen from him were given back at a rapid rate; the experience was just as painful as when it was ripped from him. He felt all his external injuries healing, the large gaping wound at his bleeding side closing up; the stab wound at his thigh losing its painful throb. For the first time in a long time, he was beginning to feel truly _alive _again. The process lasted for a few minutes then the Wraith lifted its hand away from his chest and Sheppard looked up into the face of his benefactor.

Lf'wyne smiled down at him. "I have restored the years that I have taken, Sheppard," it informed him. "I also returned that which was stolen from you by the other Wraith. I was unsure how many years he took from you, so I made an estimated guess on how you looked when I last saw you. You have received now the Gift of Life for a second time; the bond that we share will be stronger."

Sheppard looked down at himself once more in stunned surprise. He no longer felt any pain on his side or thigh, except for a dull ache. Pulling the bandages aside, he looked at the pink flesh underneath to see a healing scar, tender still to the touch, but the gaping and bloodied wounds were no longer there. All the minor cuts and bruises on the rest of his body were also gone. He looked at his chest and saw a feeding mark clearly imprinted there. It was the only place on his body where the flesh was still bruised and sore.

"The mark of the Gift of Life still is upon you," the Wraith explained, "but it too would fade in time."

From previous experience, Sheppard knew that the Wraith spoke the truth. He had been through this before; he it didn't like it the first time round, he doubted that he would like it the second time. Carson would surely have a field day performing a battery of tests on him, something that Sheppard sorely hated. But it beat being placed in a nursing home before his time; it beat being fed upon until he was nothing but dust in a flap jacket. He looked at his hands: they looked strong and young again; perhaps even younger than before, but he couldn't be certain. He ran stiff fingers through his hair and felt it thick, healthy and spiky as before.

The Wraith extended out a hand towards him which Sheppard accepted by gripping the other's forearm and allowing Wraith to pull him to his feet. Sheppard smiled. For the first time in a long time, he could stand on his own two feet without feeling the terrible pain in his thigh and his side; without the constant dizzy spells that sometimes affected his equilibrium. He turned back to face the Wraith again.

"Thank you," he said.

Lf'wyne gave him a grin of satisfaction.

Without warning, Sheppard's fist moved back and punched the Wraith hard on its face. The Wraith stumbled back; hissing in anger, its feeding hand raised in an attack pose; shock radiated out from its eyes.

"That's for feeding on me _twice!_" he explained, breathing hard and giving Lf'wyne a friendly grin. He then placed his hands up in a gesture of surrender; showing that he wasn't about to attack the Wraith again. They were now even. It was a damn risk he took and he knew it; but he had to let the Wraith know that he did not appreciate being fed upon especially against his will.

Lf'wyne looked at him and understood. After all they were both warriors. A low rumble broke deep in his throat as the Wraith swung his head back and laughed. The bruise from the punch that he had received and the cut at his split lip were already healing quickly. "Ah, Sheppard. You are truly worthy of the Gift of Life. Never in my lifetime have I met a human such as you. No human would have dared to do what you just did to a Wraith. Do you not fear me?" Amusement twinkled in his reptilian eyes. More and more this human reminded him of his first born son that he had lost so many years ago.

"Only if you _decide_ to have me for _lunch!_" Sheppard replied in an indignant tone. "But if you attempt again, then I'll have to kill you!"

The Wraith chuckled again shaking its head with pleasure. Sheppard truly behaved like one of his brethrens. "You got yourself a deal, Sheppard."

Sheppard wondered where the Wraith had learned such a human phrase 'deal'; then he remembered that he himself had used it on the Wraith back on the Genii world, just before he shot it with Ronon's stunner blast. Lf'wyne was obviously a fast learner. The pilot smiled and nodded; pleased to hear that there was going to be no future feeding in store for him.

He looked around and saw numerous bodies of dead Wraith worshippers, several of which had been fed upon. It looked that the Wraith had fed well indeed, which was probably a good thing for the Wraith looked strong and healthy now. Looking down, he saw Snacks lying close at his feet. A frown creased his forehead; he couldn't believe that he had forgotten about Snacks!

Swiftly bending down on one knee, he took the still unconscious Talmera and cradled it in his hands. He looked at his Wraith friend. "Can you h-heal it?" he asked, frowning suddenly as he realised that the stutter was back. He shot the Wraith another questioning look, realising that while all his external injuries appeared healed, he still did not know whether the things done to him by Daffy the Wraith had been neutralized.

Lf'wyne shook his head. "The Gift of Life can only be shared among humans and wraith. I am sorry Sheppard, but I cannot do anything for the Talmera. It will have to heal on its own accord. As for you, Sheppard, with the Gift of Life, all your external injuries have been healed and you are now strong and well again, but I fear that your condition will not last. I have not been able to remove the devices implanted in you. One is still attached close to your heart and one in your head. While you will feel all right now, it won't be long before the device will start to initiate again and your body will start to feel the effects of being away from Wraith. The one in your chest will start to release poisons that will eventually kill you. The one implanted in your head, I am unsure about… I am uncertain whether the Wraith can initiate it from the distance we've already placed between ourselves and the labs."

The Wraith looked at Sheppard curiously. "The second implant, the one in your head, do you recall what it does to you?"

Sheppard closed his eyes, not wanting to recall the hallucinations of his team beating him up, betraying him; of his team dying, tortured before his eyes. Unable to stop, he felt himself shudder at the memories. They were not things he liked thinking about. The Wraith, he was sure, noticed his unease.

"Nothing good," he finally replied.

Lf'wyne nodded but didn't question him further, obviously understanding that he didn't wish to talk about it. Sometimes, the Wraith surprised him with its insight.

Sheppard pursed his lips and looked down at Snacks which he held close to his still sore chest, feeling the soft fur of the Talmera and warm body curled snugly there. He directed his gaze back at Lf'wyne. "But you are Wraith, surely h-having you w-with me will h-help."

To his surprise, he saw Lf'wyne shake his head with sadness and regret. "My presence does not help you out as much as you have hoped, Sheppard. I too have been through … experiments. You fair better being near Wraith that has not been changed as much as I. It is through the Gift of Life that you are well now, but it will not last – if you wish to escape from this place, I suggest you make your way back to the Stargate and get your people to help you while you still can. The Gift of Life should help you out for a while, hopefully enough to reach the Stargate before you start suffering too much from the effects of devices within you." The Wraith's gaze darted towards Snacks that Sheppard held in his hands. "Perhaps, your people will be able to help the Talmera too."

Sheppard looked down at Snacks again, his fingers caressing the Talmera's furry neck; he could feel the comforting presence of the Talmera's heartbeat through his other hand that cradled its chest. He frowned. He sensed that the Wraith was not coming with him. "Where are you going?" he asked.

Lf'wyne locked its reptilian gaze onto Sheppard's. "I will have to go back to the labs," it replied. "There is information there that I need - information on their experiments that should be destroyed."

"Then I should go with you," Sheppard stated, "You cannot go alone, you'll need help."

Something like affection showed through the Wraith's gaze. "Ah, no, Sheppard. You are indeed more like my Wraith brethrens than you know. It will be dangerous for you of all people to return."

Sheppard's frown deepened. "So far you are the only Wraith that I know who has any sense of honour and fair play," he observed. "All other Wraiths have been…, shall we say, less than friendly."

"That's because there is much that you do not know about Wraith. There are many of us; there are many fractions. Some are more honourable than others, and there are some… such as the Wraith of this world, who wish to dominate others through various unlawful experiments but with the ultimate goal of becoming the domineering Hive. There have been battles, wars among Wraith."

"Wraiths who fight among themselves and _laws _against such experiments?" asked Sheppard in surprise. He would have never believed it in a million years. But he supposed what the Wraith said made sense, after all, Earth too had her own shameful history producing various individuals and societies that caused wars - killed the innocent - all for power and dominance over others.

Lf'wyne gave him a patronising look. "As I have stated before, there are many things that you do not know about Wraith."

Sheppard accepted the rebuke but his gaze was stubborn when he looked back at the Wraith. "Nevertheless, you'll still need help. I'm coming with you." He would not abandon the Wraith now after all that the Wraith had done for him.

The Wraith chuckled and shook his head. "Sheppard, see that hill to the north over-looking the forest where we are currently at?" He pointed through a line of trees to a faraway hill amidst a clearing next to an open patch of green field.

Sheppard nodded, wondering where this was leading as he turned around to look at said hill.

"On the next side of the hill, there lies the Stargate. You will have to climb over the hill to get to the other side in order to reach the gate. It should take you approximately a day's journey."

"Yes, but…" He never got the chance to complete his sentence as a Wraith stunner blast stuck him in the back.

---

The Wraith bent down, checking to make sure that the human and the Talmera (which had also been stunned) were all right. He saw that Sheppard's hazel eyes were still open; the human was still conscious but not for long. This one was strong indeed and he found himself greatly impressed by Sheppard's stubbornness, sense of duty and inner strength. Soon the effects of the Wraith stunner would claim him and he would sleep for a while, but not too long, Lf'wyne had made sure of that – only long enough for him to make his way back to the Wraith labs without Sheppard following him.

"I am sorry Sheppard, but like I said before, I cannot allow you to return with me to the labs, the risk for you is too great. But if I am successful with the information that I need," he paused, realising the information would probably be useful for Sheppard too, "… with the information that _we_ need," he amended, "then I will find a way to get the information to you. We share a closer bond now, Sheppard. The Gift of Life is not given lightly for it creates a psychic bond between the giver and the receiver. Should you die or are sorely wounded or in a great deal of pain, I would know it, as you would too, if I am dead or terribly wounded. It is the price we pay for such a bond. Never has it been known for a human to receive the Gift of Life twice in one's lifetime, you are the first, Sheppard." He paused. He saw that Sheppard would soon fade into the world of unconsciousness. He gave the human a farewell smile. "Good bye, my brother. Be safe. If the fates are willing, perhaps we shall meet again."

As he finished speaking he saw Sheppard's eyes flutter close as unconsciousness finally claimed him. The Wraith looked upon the dark haired human for a moment longer, tucking the stunned and unconscious Talmera close to Sheppard's side, making sure that it was safely in its pouch. He did not like tricking and stunning the human, but he knew that he had no choice in the matter. Sheppard would have followed him back, would have willingly died for his cause, a cause that he knew nothing about. That he could not allow. Besides, Sheppard had once stunned him back in the Genii world; in this, Sheppard could not fault him either.

With a sigh and a determined look, he stood up, picked up the rest of his weapons (making sure to leave Sheppard a fully charged Wraith stunner) and made his way back to the Wraith labs. He now knew where he had gone wrong the last time he had been caught sneaking into the experimental labs. How he had accidentally set off the hidden laser-beam alarms in the corridors as he passed by them. Now that he knew about their presence, he didn't intent to be caught again. He fingered the crystal cylinder key that Snacks had stolen. With it, it would make his tasks all the easier to retrieve the data that he needed.

To be continued

_Ah, you guys are sharp. You knew that Lf'wyne would give Sheppard back his life.  
_


	14. Chapter 21

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

_You guys are awesome, thank you so much for the reviews. I was entertained and inspired by them._

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 21**

The sudden heavy downpour jerked Sheppard to consciousness with a start. It was a rude awakening, especially when you're recovering from a stun blast that left you with one massive headache, made a whole lot worse by the almost brutal force of raindrops hitting violently against your sensitive pins and needles skin. In less than a minute, he was thoroughly soaked by the cold rain water plummeting down upon the land from the stormy heavens above.

Rubbing rainwater off his eyes and face, he looked around to find himself alone in the wet wilderness with Snacks for company, still tucked in its pouch. Close by, he caught sight of the wraith stun blaster left for him on the ground. He retrieved it and placed it in his empty leg holster. Lf'wyne, he knew, was no longer close-by, having gone back to the Wraith experimental labs to get the information that it needed. He knew what the Wraith had done and why it did it. He remembered the Wraith's last words to him before he succumbed to the effects of the stun blast.

"Damn it!" he cursed aloud, angry at himself for not anticipating the Wraith's move.

Sighing in frustration, he picked up Snacks to check on the Talmera. To his relief, he noticed the Talmera shaking its wet furry head slightly, making soft, pitiful chirping sounds. It looked like the rain had finally revived it. It obviously didn't like being wet but Sheppard was relieved to see it finally waking up. Soft beady copper eyes opened and blinked up at him.

"Hey… t-there Snacks," he greeted the little winged creature. "A-about time, you w-woke up, buddy"

He frowned in concern when he saw Snacks having a hard time focusing. _Head injury_, he thought to himself. He knew what a concussion felt like and he hoped that his winged friend wasn't suffering from it. With a possible concussion and a broken wing, it looked like Snacks wouldn't be flying for a while. Sheppard could sympathise with the little critter, knowing how it felt like to be grounded and hating every moment of it.

"You b-be fine, little fella," he said, giving it a soft scratch under its neck. Snacks stretched its neck upwards and he could see its mouth moving, giving out soft chirps or purring sounds which he couldn't hear due to the sound of the pouring rain. After a while, Snacks stopped moving, instead he noticed Snacks sniffing away and licking its lips; it looked hungry now. Thinking that it wanted food, he removed another powerbar from his pocket, his last, remaining one, he noticed. He broke a generous piece for Snacks. The little critter's nose instantly twitched in excitement at the smell of the chocolate coated bar. Sheppard was beginning to suspect that powerbars were its favourite source of food. Smiling a little, he placed it close to Snacks mouth, which the Talmera instantly gobbled up. However, a few heartbeats later, to Sheppard's horror, Snacks started to look distressed and made loud hacking noises. Before the pilot knew what was happening, the poor critter was puking out some brown half-digested powerbar goo all over his sleeve.

Sheppard wrinkled his nose. _Way to go, John. Feed the little critter a powerbar while it still has a concussion. Smart John, real smart! _he chided himself sarcastically. He brushed off Snacks' puke from his sleeve and let the rain water wash it off.

"It's o-okay, Snacks. You'll b-be okay," he said as he gently tugged a miserable looking Snacks back in its pouch and placed it between his chest and his jacket and zipped it up. His jacket would hopefully provide it with some shelter and warmth against the pouring rain (along with his body heat) which he hoped would help Snacks feel better. Snacks' head peeked out a little from the top of his jacket, just to make sure that it could escape from the strange place that it suddenly found itself cocooned in. Looking up, it seemed satisfied to see Sheppard close-by so it popped itself back down again and wiggled in its pouch and the inside of his jacket, snuggling close to his still sore chest. Sheppard winced but didn't complain when Snacks movements bumped on his tender chest; it was actually comforting to feel Snacks warm small fuzzy body cuddled close to him. Despite the little critter being still a little sick and woozy from its head injury and stun blast, Sheppard was more than glad that it was finally awake again. It had been too long that Snacks had been unconscious and it had worried him greatly. Just having Snacks half-alert and next to him, brightened his spirits considerably.

"You'll b-be okay, Snacks…" he repeated the words again, not sure whether he was assuring himself of it or the Talmera. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

Giving Snacks a few reassuring pats over his bulging jacket, Sheppard stood up, knowing that he couldn't leave the Wraith to its fate. Whatever it intended to do, it was dangerous, which was why Lf'wyne didn't want him to follow him in the first place. That meant that he had to go back despite the sudden stab of fear and anxiety that he felt at the thought of returning to the lab where he had been tortured, interrogated and experimented on. He knew that if he were caught again, he would probably not survive another round with Daffy the Wraith. He knew the sadist Wraith well enough to know that Daffy would punish him to the point where he would rather be dead first than to be taken alive by the Wraith again. Yet, he knew that he couldn't abandon the Wraith that had helped him.

Despite their people being mortal enemies, he had come to have a healthy respect for Lf'wyne. The Wraith had proven itself to be a friend and he could not abandon it now. He had never left a man behind, not if he could help it, and he didn't intend to start now. He still hadn't really forgiven himself over Ford, but then the young lieutenant had refused to return with him back to Atlantis even when he tried to get him back. When a man rejected rescue and fought you all the way, that's when it made things difficult. He shook his head and brushed his thoughts away from Ford, knowing that now was not the time to contemplate his failures. His first task was to cover Lf'wyne's back and ensure that the Wraith didn't get itself killed.

He turned to head back the way they came from. It was then when he realised that he didn't know which direction led back to the wraith experimental labs. He had been unconscious the entire time when the Wraith made their escape, and later, when he was conscious, he hadn't been paying much attention to where he was heading due to the agonising injury at his side. He failed to remember the complex directions that they had taken; all was a blur to him for he had been feverish and hurting. He remembered focusing his attention on following the Wraith, placing one foot after the other, refusing himself to fall and collapse. He didn't think that directions would be important at that time as he never expected that he would want to return to the labs _ever_. After all, they were attempting an escape, not to return to the place of their imprisonment.

Now he regretted his lack of attention to his surroundings. Cursing softly, he studied the ground, looking for tracks instead. Surely they would have left tracks on the ground. If he could follow them, they should take him back to the labs. Looking at the wet and soggy ground, he thought he spotted what appeared to be faint tracks of the Wraith and wraith worshippers; they were already partially washed away by the heavy down pour, which meant that he had to hurry.

"I can't b-believe I'm _doing _this!" he muttered harshly to himself, scowling darkly. With a final longing glance at the large steep hill where the Wraith had instructed him to go, he turned and followed Lf'wyne's tracks back to the Wraith labs.

---

Sheppard had not gone very far when he soon lost sight of the tracks he had been following. Whatever tracks the Wraith had made had quickly been washed away by the storm waters. Soon there were no sign of any tracks on the wet ground at all. Reality and common sense kicked in. He knew that there was no way he was going to be able to backtrack all the way back to the labs without getting himself seriously lost in the process.

_Damn it! _he cursed loudly, kicking some stones in frustration, causing clumps of mud and grass to fly off and splatter on the ground in front of him. To continue on his current path with only a slim hope of finding his way back to the experimental labs was bordering on to foolishness. There was no other option left open for him; he knew that he had to turn back. The best course of action now was to try to make his way back to the Stargate, using the directions that Lf'wyne had given and return to Atlantis. Perhaps, once he was home, he would be able to convince his people to sent reinforcements to help out the Wraith. Even if he had to commandeer a puddlejumper himself to do the job, he knew that he would do it. He never left his people behind. Granted, even though Lf'wyne wasn't his people, he still considered it a friend and he couldn't abandon the Wraith now without doing something to aid it. He knew that McKay, and especially Ronon, would probably think him nuts to go to such lengths to help out one of the enemy. Teyla, might possibly understand, he wasn't certain. As for Elizabeth, he doubted that she would allow him to risk his life for a Wraith. He told himself that he would worry about that when the time came; now he had to focus getting back to the Stargate.

Once he made up his mind, he quickly backtracked the way that he came from. An hour later he found himself making his way up a treacherous and soggy hill. He was begining to hate the rain...

---

Sheppard was shivering. The rain had finally eased down to a drizzle but by then, his wet hair was plastered heavily down his head and every patch of his skin was thoroughly soaked through. He shook his head and water from his hair sprayed onto the ground at his feet. He could see his breaths puffing out in the cold morning air and he felt tired, cold and hungry.

Getting to the top of the steep hill was slower than he anticipated as he had to be extra careful climbing up the slippery, slushy and rocky incline which made the journey far more perilous than in dry weather. He was weak from the lack of food but fortunately there was enough rain water to keep him from suffering from thirst. However, his mind was clear on where he was going and he knew what he had to do. Carefully, he picked his way up the rocky slope, seeking good footing least he should fall. The last thing that he wanted was to suffer from a sprained or broken ankle; or worse yet, to fall to his death.

However despite his caution, he stumbled on a loose rock and found himself slipping off the edge of the hill. Cursing loudly, he scrambled anxiously for a firm handhold and only just managed to halt his downward slide by grabbing onto an old, giant tree root that was fortunately jutting out from the muddy and wet ground. He could feel Snacks squeaking with indignation inside the top of his jacket as he half squashed the little critter in his panicked scramble not to fall. When he finally got a firm foothold again, he took a peek at Snacks and saw the Talmera looking up miserably at him; the fur on its head mattered and wet from the rain and the cold. It looked up at him and gave a soft sneeze.

It took him approximately three hours to reach the hill top. The sun was now positioned a quarter-way across the overcast and gloomy sky, half-hidden amidst rain clouds, announcing the arrival of mid-morning. While it had rained heavily, the water had washed away most of the mud from his clothes, but now that the rain had finally eased to a drizzle, the mud that splashed on him stayed on, caked firmly to his clothes.

When he finally reached the top, he breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of a reasonably flat, gently rolling hilltop, sprinkled with numerous outcrops of rocks, scrubs, bushes and trees on a wet and soggy ground. But what lifted Sheppard's spirits was the fact that there was no more uphill climbing involved. Frankly, he didn't think he had any more energy left to do more climbing. He was shivering, bone-weary and exhausted. His body was shaking so much that he knew he needed a rest soon before he fell down.

He scanned his surroundings, his gaze picking out the large fallen tree laying a few paces to his left, probably the result of the recent rainstorm. There was no dry spot on the ground for him to sit on, so he opted for the fallen tree trunk instead. The tree bark felt rough and slightly uncomfortable under his pants, but still, it was better than sitting on the soggy ground. Releasing a soft sigh of relief, he was glad to be finally off his feet as he unzipped his jacket and brought out the Talmera still huddled inside its leather pouch.

Sheppard studied Snacks. It looked that Snacks was fairing better than he for although the Talmera's furry head was wet and pretty much soaked through, his jacket and especially the leather pouch that it was in, kept most of its body, including its bandaged wing reasonably dry. Lifting Snacks out of its pouch, the Talmera squeaked indignantly when the cool morning air hit it. Sheppard smiled, as he placed it on his wet trousers lap but he saw that Snacks did not appreciate sitting on his wet clothing at all and the little critter made a "I-don't-want-to-know-you" yelp before it hurriedly back into its nice, warm pouch again.

"F-figures," Sheppard stated softly with a wry look as he lifted the pouch and closed it, making sure that there was enough space for Snacks' head to poke through. He tied it to his belt loop now as the drizzle had finally stopped. His still tender chest needed a break from Snack's weight.

Knowing that his body needed nourishment to fight against the cold, his shivering hands removed the remaining, barely eaten powerbar from his pocket. He opened the wrapper, and took a bite from it. The sweetness of the powerbar made him feel a little sick, but he continued to chew on it for he knew that he needed to keep up his strength for the journey ahead. While he was happy to have Snacks with him, he discovered that he also missed Lf'wyne's company. He wondered how the Wraith was faring and whether it had managed to get what it wanted. He certainly hoped so.

He felt shuffling movement from the pouch at his hip; looking down he saw Snacks peeking up once again at him while giving out a little chirp. It beady eyes were now blinking greedily at the wrapper in his hands. He wondered whether Snacks was feeling better now to have some food in its belly. The Talmera's eyes still didn't look all that focused, but it seemed a little better than before; it certainly seemed more active than three hours ago.

This time he was more cautious and made sure that he peeled out only a small piece of the powerbar before giving the titbit to the Talmera. As usual, Snacks gobbled it up in no time and he could hear the Talmera's tail thumping happily away inside the pouch. Sheppard smiled, "That's e-enough for you, l-little guy. D-don't want you being sick on me a-again."

Snacks seemed to understand him and didn't ask for more. He gave Sheppard a thank-you chirp then closed its eyes and promptly went off to sleep. Lucky fella, Sheppard thought to himself, wishing that he could take a nap himself for he was exhausted and cold.

He sat there for a moment longer, contemplating his next move, knowing that he had to get up soon and make his way to the other side of the hill. Travelling with wet, cold and soggy clothes certainly sucked big time. It added weight that he really didn't need to carry. He wiped his cold and runny nose, feeling miserable and run down.

A loud and powerful sneeze suddenly caught him by surprise, almost throwing him off balance from the tree log and startling little Snacks out from its nap. God, he felt really bad. He was beginning to forget what it was like to feel warm and dry again. And now, it looked like he was coming down with a cold on top of every thing else. He sighed, closing his eyes. He told himself that he would rest for minute longer before he started on his journey again. In the silence of his mind, he wished he was already back in Atlantis; he wished he was already home…

---

To be continued


	15. Chapter 22

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 22**

He was starting to feel sick, achy all over, with a pounding headache and a runny nose to boot. What he first suspected was a cold was becoming a lot worse. The dizziness and nausea spells had started out small at first; something that he could ignore and brush off at the back of his mind. But the further he walked, the more distance he placed between himself and the Wraith experimental complex, the sicker he felt. By mid day he was suddenly hit by sharp pains in his chest that left him staggering and almost falling to the ground. Catching himself on a nearby tree, he leaned his throbbing head forward on his arms, trying to catch his breath.

_It's nothing, just a coincidence_, he told himself. _I'm okay, I can make it to the Stargate_, he tried to convince himself. Ultimately, he knew that he was only lying to himself. The feeling of wrongness inside him pervaded, having grown steadily with each step that he took. Bitterness overwhelmed him and he punched the tree bark with his fist in furious frustration. His bruised knuckles throbbed in sync with the beat of his heart, but it was pain that he recognised, unlike the deep pain that racked inside his body.

He was perspiring heavily now, no longer feeling cold but uncomfortably hot instead. His damp, mud-covered clothing did not make him feel any better. He recognised the symptoms now: they were similar to when he first woke up in that damn Wraith worshippers' cell but ten times worse. When the painful cramps abruptly hit him in the stomach, he knew that he was in serious trouble. Grunting in agony, Sheppard doubled over, grabbing hold of his gut and puked out something dark mixed with blood on the ground. The strange chemical smell, which smelt really bad, immediately invaded his nostrils, making him gasp and wince, not wanting to see or accept it.

_Crap! Crap! Crap! I'm so screwed! _His fevered mind screamed out, wanting to deny what was happening. He suddenly sneezed and wiped his runny nose with the back of his hand, only to discover that his nose was leaking blood when he saw a trail blood on his hand.

_The one in your chest will start to release poisons that will eventually kill you._ The memory of Lf'wyne's warning sounded in his mind. He realised that enough time and distance must have passed since he received the Gift of Life for the Wraith device to reactivate again.

_Damn it, John! Not now!_ _Not when you're so close to getting home!_ He reproached himself in frustration. _You can do this! You can make it back to the Stargate and get the help you need! _Yet, he knew that he needed more time, that the journey was still too far. Anger welled up within him along with quiet determination, a firm resolve. No, he wasn't going to allow Daffy the Wraith to win on this one. The Wraiths be damned, he was going to make it back to the Stargate, to see Atlantis again, even if it was the last thing he did.

He felt a familiar stirring in his mind and he suddenly heard Lf'wyne voice in his head. _Ah, Sheppard… I sense your pain. Be strong, my brother, I shall try to get back to you…, I am almost done here… _He felt a faint surge of strength flow through him from the link that he shared with the Wraith. It was sufficient to empower his pain racked body to get up, to try again. Lifting his head, he glanced upwards, noticing the midday sun that meant that he still had half a day's journey more to go before he reached the Stargate. Gritting his teeth with steely resolve, he pushed off the tree and started to walk again, determined to reach his destination.

---

Somewhere along the way, the cramps started again, making Sheppard moan and want to curl on his side and die. He didn't know when he had fallen onto the muddy grass, he only discovered himself lying there. The feeling of wrongness was screaming out at him now, demanding his entire attention. He felt an irrational pull to return back to the Wraith labs, if only to stop the terrible pain and suffering he was in; the only problem was, he didn't know where the labs were, which was probably a good thing, for he refused to turn back now. The Stargate… he thought to himself as he narrowed his gaze, breathed out a shuddering breath and tried to focus his mind on his destination.

He wanted to go home; he _needed _to go home. In Atlantis, he would be able to get the necessary help that he desperately required. Carson, Rodney, Teyla, Ronon, Elizabeth… the names and faces of his friends floated in his mind. It seemed such a long time ago. Somewhere in his imprisonment, he had lost track of how many days had passed. It seemed almost like a lifetime ago. He closed his eyes tightly and groaned when he felt another wave of attack hit him. He seriously began to wonder whether he would make it to the Stargate alive.

---

There was a forlorn chirping sound nearby. Opening his heavy lidded eyes, Sheppard realised that he was lying on the cold, wet ground with half his face caked in mud. He must have lost consciousness again even though he didn't remember doing it. All he remembered was the pain that had pierced deep inside him; pain so bad that it felt as if it would explode his heart, mind and soul.

But the pain was receding now and strength was surging through his veins instead, making his foggy and confused mind wonder about it. At his hip, something soft was moving, wiggling about, making faint, inquiring, worried noises amidst its chirping. He looked down and saw Snacks poking its head out from its pouch and looking up at him worriedly. He tried to smile at the little critter; getting up enough strength to lean on his left elbow while his right hand combed through his damp and ruffled mud caked hair. He wiped the mud off the side of his face. He knew that he wasn't too successful at getting rid of all the mud from his face and hair but he didn't really care.

Sitting up now, he reached his hand across to give Snacks a reassuring pat, noticing that he was leaving muddy trails on the Talmera's brown fur. The little winged beast didn't seem to mind however. Instead, seeing that Sheppard was now awake, dark copper eyes gazed at him as it suddenly went silent. Its nose twitched and its ears pitched forward alertly almost as if telling him that there was danger present. Perhaps it was the reason why it had been trying to wake him. Sheppard frowned, going silent himself as he tuned his senses to pay more attention to his surroundings. He sensed them now: _Wraith_, five of them - the reason for his sudden strength and vitality. Whatever Daffy had done to him, it had seriously messed him up. He hated having an invisible shackle that linked his continued survival to the Wraiths.

Pursing his lips together into a thin, determined line and frowning slightly, he gently pushed the little Talmera's head back inside the pouch. "Stay…t-there," he whispered softly to his little friend while he checked that the pouch was tied securely to his belt loop. There was going to be a fight ahead and he didn't want the little Talmera accidentally getting hurt.

He heard another sound now, not far away: the step of heavy boots crushing against wet grass. His senses were finely tuned now, courtesy of the Wraith experiments. Two were approaching closer to where he was, but he knew that there were five in total. The odds were against him: there were too many for him to fight alone. It didn't matter. He would do his best to take out as many as possible. He would not allow them to take him alive, not if he could help it. He wasn't going back to Daffy's lab; he was _never_ going back to Daffy's lab. He wondered whether Daffy was among the Wraiths hunting him; he certainly hoped so, for he would take great pleasure in blowing away the smirk off that damn Wraith's face.

Silently, he got himself up into a crouching position. The severe pain he had experienced before was gone. His hand went to the Wraith stunner at his side, quietly removing it from his leg holster. He checked to make sure that it was set to kill instead of stun. Perspiration poured down his forehead, running down the side of his neck. His entire back was also wet from sweat. He readied himself for the hunt. He now knew how Ronon felt when he was a runner. He scanned his surroundings, a plan forming in his mind…

---

They came at him, two at the same time, Wraith stunner blasters aimed at him. Sheppard had one advantage in the battle. His blaster was set to kill rather than stun. Yet, still he had to be sure that he had enough cover to avoid their stun blasts.

The one on his left, he took out first, striking it dead centre on the chest. The Wraith convulsed and went down like a falling tree. The second Wraith, he did not have time to take out as its shot rang out while he dived for cover behind a large rock, barely escaping its paralyzing blast. Then he was crawling forward in the thick underbrush, making his way stealthily around to the side of the Wraith. He had marked out the land, he suspected where it would go, where it would expect him to be. As the Wraith strode forward, searching for him, he took aim and shot it with a head shot. For any other person, it would have been a difficult hit, but Sheppard was an expert marksman, and the Wraith went down without a fight.

As the second Wraith collapsed, Sheppard felt the presence of a third Wraith approach behind him. He dived aside and barely escaped from the Wraith's stunner blast but lost his own weapon in the process when the stun blast caught the edge of his hand, resulting in him experiencing temporally numbness to the limb. "_Damn it!" _he cursed silently to himself, breathing harshly as he took cover behind a thick oak-like tree. It had been too close for comfort.

Slowly he bent down and removed the Wraith blade that he kept in the sheath of his boot during his escape from the Wraith prison. He could hear (and at the same time sense) the Wraith that was quietly approaching him. His right hand was experiencing the feeling of pins and needles now, which meant that he would be able to use it pretty soon; but for now his left hand would have to do. When it seemed that the Wraith was relatively close, Sheppard took a risk and threw the dagger at it. The dagger struck it in the shoulder and he saw the Wraith go down, but he didn't stop to check on it for he knew that a dagger injury alone wouldn't be enough to stop it. Without looking back, he ran, making his way swiftly to the next cover of trees, only to run into Rodney, Teyla and Ronon, aiming their weapons at him.

They stood there for a moment, gaping at each other in stunned shock and silent surprise.

"_Sheppard?_" McKay called his name, his blue eyes wide with amazement before they promptly changed into unconcealed joy. "Is that _really _you under all that _mud_? Thank God, you're still alive! Do you know how _many _godforsaken _planets _we've been traipsing through all this time, searching for you, based only from _scratchy _information that Teyla managed to get out from that damn Wraith?"

Teyla, who stood beside McKay, was smiling broadly with excitement and happiness shining in her eyes. Ronon merely grinned like a bloody lunatic.

Sheppard however didn't dare approach them as he stood there gaping in shock, uncertain whether to believe that this was real; that this was truly his team. Part of him wanted to believe that it was true, that this was his _real _team, that _finally_, after all this time, after _everything_ he'd been through; they had _come _for him. Yet, another part of him feared that this was another Wraith trick. He remembered all too well, how he had fallen for the 'rescue by his team' too many times before. It almost seemed too good to be true, yet… there was a part of him that desperately wanted to _believe _that _this_ was _true_: that his team was truly there, standing in front him now. He stood there, eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar, breathing hard, torn between the want to approach them and the fear to do so. Indecision and confusion warred inside of him. Something must have shown on his face (after all he did not return their welcoming smiles) for in the next heartbeat, the open smiles on his team disappeared. They shared a look with each other, before looking back at him, concern now lining their features.

"Sheppard, what's wrong?" McKay asked more quietly now as if he sensed that something was amiss.

"_John?_ Are you all right?" Teyla spoke softly, one of her hands reaching out towards him as a worried frown lined her brow.

"Sheppard...?" Ronon called his name, taking a slow, careful step forward.

He sensed movement behind him, _danger… _Wraith! He managed to dive aside, just as the Wraith behind him fired. The blast narrowly missed him as McKay, Teyla and Ronon dived for cover and fired back. He didn't know whether they hit it or not and he no longer cared. Something inside him snapped. He couldn't take this any longer. He couldn't fall for this another time! He wasn't about to take any more chances. He had been so close to believing that _this time_, his team was _real_, which in turn made him vulnerable and left him open to betraying those whom he cared about. But he knew now that this couldn't be Rodney, Teyla and Ronon. It was too much of a coincidence, and so far, he never placed much hope in Lady Luck. This _had_ to be another Wraith trick! He had fallen for the Wraith mind tricks too many times in the past to fall for it again. Lf'wyne had warned him that Daffy could reinitiate the implant in his brain at any time. Now that there were Wraith close by again, it had to be the most logical reason. This was another hallucinogenic trick meant to deceive him and lure him back into the hands of Wraith. Disappointment, anger and paranoia bit deep inside him and he felt himself losing a bit of his sanity.

"No!" he screamed out as he felt hands reaching for him. He struck out and fought back, hitting flesh, bone, chin, ribs and faces. He had to get away, he had to get free! His team, who was not his team, was fighting him now, struggling with him.

_No! No! No! Not again! _His mind screamed out in panic and despair. "_I'm NOT g-going back! You've have to K-KILL me first! I'm NEVER going back!" _he yelled at the top of his lungs. Fear and confusion built deep within him, adrenalin loaned him strength as it drove him forward to fight against those trying to hold him down, fighting to restrain him. There were people yelling out and shouting his name: Teyla's voice sounding distressed, pleading with him to calm down, telling him that they only wished to help, that they only wanted to take him home; Rodney asking him to stop fighting them, demanding what was wrong with him; and Ronon trying to grab his arms and fists, saying that he wasn't going to hurt him.

"_NO!!!"_ He could not bear to see his team tortured and killed before his eyes again; he could not bear to be beaten up by them again, to hear their voices taunting him with lies, trying to break him so that he would betray those whom he cared about. He fought back like a madman, like what he had done so many times before. Fists struck out, striking flesh, he heard cries of pain. All he saw now was red; a haze of red in his confused state of mind. If he was in a more rational state, he would have wondered why they didn't seem to be hitting him back more violently like they did all the other times before, instead they seemed more inclined to try to subdue him. But he was too far gone to care. Fear, anxiety and madness pulsed within him. He even began to doubt his escape, Snacks and the Wraith, Lf'wyne – _Was it all a lie?!_ It felt so different, so _real_. He had fallen for it hard, and he felt hurt and betrayed twice over!

"You're _n-not _real! You're _n-never_ real! You're one of _t-them! _You're here to hurt me! Make me b-betray my friends!"

His mind felt that it was about to explode with confusion, pain and fear.

"Sheppard! Are you nuts?!" Rodney's words reached his ears. "What the hell are you talking about?! We're here to take you home!"

_Home_… he paused in his struggle. He so wanted to go home…. Someone called his name softly; there were harsh breathing sounds all around him now. He was surrounded by his team who were not his team. They were the enemy. He felt a hand land on his right shoulder, gripping it gently in support. _Rodney… _He closed his eyes, breathing hard. God, how he wished that the hand was the real hand of a friend.

"Sheppard?" The tentative voice called him again. He opened his eyes and slugged the guy hard in the stomach then punched him in the face. There was an 'Ooof!' sound as he yelled out the accusing words "You are _n-not _McKay!" while the one that looked like McKay landed hard on the ground; he caught a gleam of blue eyes widening with hurt and surprise. He did not care. This was not McKay, it wasn't truly Rodney…. His sudden attack took the others by surprise too and he managed to break away.

There were more shouts and other sounds of battle now. Blaster shots went out. "Shit!" he heard not-Ronon yell out as the warrior whipped out his Satedan blaster and shot somewhere off to the trees. In the midst of the sudden confusion, Sheppard did not turn back; he refused be caught a second time. He ran on, heading towards the thick woods where he knew he could hide. At the side of his hip, he felt the pouch where Snacks was in, the pouch swinging in motion with his ragged movements. If he could make it for cover, perhaps he would be able to lose his not-team…

"Ronon! He's getting away!" he heard a female voice shout from somewhere behind him.

"No, he's not!" the low voice replied.

A shot rang out and suddenly he was enveloped in a red blast. He cried out in pain as he crumpled bonelessly to the ground. There were sounds of running feet and he saw dark shadows leaning above him, blocking out the glare of the sun from his eyes.

"It's okay, Sheppard. You're going to be okay," he heard someone say before he let the darkness claim him.

---

To be continued

So now you know what the rest of the team was doing all this time.


	16. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 23**

McKay still couldn't believe it. Here they were, after having spent almost two weeks traipsing through various Wraith infested planets, getting themselves shot at and almost killed in the process, while fighting damn Wraiths, left, right and centre, in addition to worrying over their team leader and friend, and what happens? They practically bump into a barely recognisable, mud-caked and bearded John Sheppard when he comes crashing into their midst with a Wraith or two, hot on his tail. At first he had been shocked, not quite believing whom he saw before his eyes. However, it didn't take long for his shock to turn to joy. Just when they had almost given up hope of ever finding Sheppard too, the colonel had once again pulled off the impossible and surprised them all.

Even though Teyla, Ronon and he had never voiced their fears aloud, they all knew that this was the last planet on the list of coordinates that Caldwell had agreed to take them to. Ultimately, they knew that if they didn't find Sheppard on this last run, chances were, they never would. After all, they knew that life in the Pegasus galaxy were hazardous at the best of times. But now, after almost two and a half weeks of being missing, to see that Sheppard was alive and well, that Sheppard hadn't been turned to Wraith chow — despite smelling really bad under all that dirt and mud — really made McKay's day.

However, it didn't take long for his initial elation to quickly turn to dread when he realised that there was something seriously wrong with Sheppard. He realised this when he saw something that he had never seen displayed in Sheppard before: a raw open display of fear and confusion in his friend's features. It was disconcerting and seriously worrying both at the same time. Sheppard's big freak out terrified him. When he saw the wild, unfocused gaze in the pilot's eyes, he knew that something was terribly wrong; that something downright awful must have happened to Sheppard for him to behave the way he did.

This was not the same man whom he had tossed his last two powerbars to just over two and a half weeks ago. How could a man change so dramatically in over two weeks? Yet, whatever had happened to Sheppard during that time had changed him and it wasn't for the better. During that short pause where Sheppard stared in shock at them, McKay read the lines of pain and suffering written on Sheppard's face and the haunted look that shone from his eyes. Not only did Sheppard's eyes appear haunted, but they seemed lost, confused, with a touch of madness in them.

The words that Sheppard had shouted out while he fought them still echoed in McKay's head, disturbing him more than he was willing to admit. Sheppard had said that he didn't want to return with them. Why for heaven's sake not? He couldn't understand that. And worst yet, Sheppard had screamed out that they weren't real, that he wasn't McKay, and they would _hurt_ him. Those damn Wraiths had really screwed Sheppard up badly. He knew then, even though he wanted to deny it, that Sheppard had been tortured, possibly even brain-washed, from the irrational way that he was behaving. Rodney didn't even want to contemplate what the pilot had been through to make Sheppard crack the way he did. Yet, alarming thoughts of all possible scenarios tumbled through his mind - thoughts that he desperately tried to brush off. If anything, McKay did not lack imagination, worse yet, too much imagination was probably his downfall. What was written in Sheppard's features seemed to make the colonel appear younger and more vulnerable than he seemed. The sight tore at McKay's heart; angering him and making him wish that he could have done _more _to save Sheppard, that Sheppard wasn't _broken_, that he knew how to _fix _him.

Now as McKay stared wide-eyed at Sheppard's still form where the colonel had collapsed (after being stunned by Ronon's blaster) he tried to get his rapidly beating heart under control. Even though they had rescued Sheppard, he couldn't help thinking that they had arrived a little too late. He wondered whether they would be able to get his friend, the John Sheppard whom they all knew, respected and cared about, back to his old self again. He feared the consequences if they couldn't.

Something trickled down his left eye, which he brushed away impatiently with his fingers. As he moved his hand away, he noticed that his fingers came away wet with blood. There was a cut on his forehead that he did not remember getting. But then, why would he? After being punched and hit by Sheppard's wildly aimed fists, the throbs and bruises on his face and stomach were enough to take his attention away from the now stinging cut that he felt on his forehead. Already, he could feel the painful throbs and bruises forming on various parts of his body. In addition to that, the latest punch he received in the gut was currently making it a little difficult for him to breathe. He hoped that he wasn't suffering from any broken or cracked ribs, courtesy of one John Sheppard. Fist fights were so_ not _his thing. In fact, he knew there was a reason why he avoided them at all costs. He never wanted to feel as sore as he did then. And _really_, the last person he _ever_ expected to be caught in a boxing match with was John Sheppard.

"Is he… Is he alright?" he asked Ronon, as he gasped for breath, cradling his mid-riff, where he had been punched. Sheppard had slugged him hard, but already, he had forgiven the damn pilot. He could not be angry at Sheppard, not for this, not after he had seen the fear and confusion written in his friend's face. He knew that the sight would haunt him for a long time, for that just wasn't John Sheppard.

After Sheppard had been stunned, Teyla had helped McKay to his feet and the three of them had sprinted to Sheppard's fallen body. The pilot's eyes were still open for a second or two when they got there. They tried to speak to him, to tell him that everything was going to be alright, but McKay doubted that Sheppard heard any of it as he lapsed into unconsciousness.

"Don't know," replied Ronon as he examined the unconscious man.

A large explosion suddenly sounded far to the south from where they were, startling birds and wild forest creatures. At the same time, they felt a faint rumble from the explosion at their feet despite the distance involved. Looking at the source of the explosion, they saw thick volumes of black smoke rising behind a cluster of trees far away in the valley below.

"What the heck was that?!" Rodney asked, feeling anxious and nervous now. He didn't like it when things exploded especially when they were not the cause of such explosions.

The earpiece inserted in his left ear suddenly activated. "_This is Colonel Caldwell, Hermiod just picked up a large explosion occurring due south from your current position. He says that it's the Wraith labs that we picked up on our ship's scanners earlier. You guys know anything about that?_"

"Negative," McKay replied, "but we can see the billows of smoke from where we are. By the way, we found Sheppard. Good thing we decided to check out the life signs up here first before heading for the Wraith complex. It looks like he's in a bad way... Tell Carson to stand by, we'll need his help as soon as you get us back to the Daedalus. Sometime like now would be good."

It was amazing how calm he sounded compared to the panic that that he felt on the inside. Their first priority was to get Sheppard medical attention and help. He prayed that Carson would be able to fix Sheppard up.

"_Understood. Dr Beckett is ready to receive him. We have your coordinates locked. Stand by... Activating transport beam now._"

The next instance, McKay and the others found themselves enveloped in a bright flash of white light…

---

Sheppard and his team were beamed directly to Daedalus small infirmary. As soon as they arrived, Carson Beckett, who had been anxiously waiting for them (as he had been listening in on their communiqué) got Ronon to carry Sheppard to one of the empty infirmary beds.

"Carson, there's something seriously wrong with Sheppard!" McKay said immediately, as he followed close behind his team members, his blue eyes wide with worry, his voice taking on a somewhat shrill note. "I mean, seriously, _seriously _wrong! He attacked us, I… I don't think he even recognised us, I mean for a moment there, when we first bumped into him, I thought he looked surprised to see us just as we were surprised to see him… But then he turned violent, I mean, real crazy Sheppard violent, and he began to fight us, saying that we weren't his team, like he was nuts or something. Look at what he did to us—" he pointed to the blossoming shiner on the left side his chin, the half closed eyelid, and the cut on his forehead. Teyla and Ronon also sprouted evidence of cuts and bruises on their faces and bodies from Sheppard's attack when they tried to subdue him.

As he spoke, he gripped his aching side protectively. There was an edge of panic in his voice now; all could see that McKay was freaking out in addition to being seriously worried about Sheppard. They were all worried about Sheppard.

Carson checked his patient's vitals, frowning and not liking what he saw. "Why is he unconscious?"

"Weren't you listening?" McKay asked in annoyance, "Sheppard was fighting us, then he tried to run away. Ronon stunned him."

A nurse approached them, obviously not knowing Rodney as well as the others did. "Calm down, Dr McKay, there's no reason to panic."

That got him riled up even more. "_Panic? _You think _this_ is panic? You haven't _seen_ panic yet!" That startled the nurse, who quickly backed away from him, much to McKay's satisfaction.

"Dr McKay, I think perhaps you should let Dr Beckett and his people examine Sheppard first," Caldwell stated calmly as he stepped into the small infirmary. He nodded a greeting towards Ronon and Teyla as he led Rodney further away from where Sheppard was.

"How is he?" Caldwell asked the others.

"He doesn't look too good, Colonel," replied Teyla. There was an edge in her voice as she watched Beckett treating Sheppard. Caldwell nodded and frowned while crossing his arms together as they watched Carson work in silence, making sure that they were out of the way from Beckett and his team, allowing the medical staff to do their job.

"Good lord, what have you done to yourself, laddie?" they heard Beckett's soft voice ask as he took in Sheppard's pallor and mud caked state. There were various other medical personnel there helping him now. One of the nurses began to remove Sheppard's empty leg holster and untied the leather pouch at his side. She frowned slightly at the weight but didn't open it as she placed them on one of the empty tables nearby. Another nurse got ready to cut open the colonel's mud caked clothes.

"Dr Beckett, I think you should see this!"

"What is it, lass?" Carson said, coming over quickly with another elderly man, one of Daedalus' residing physicians.

"Bloody hell!" Carson gasped, unable to stop himself from cursing aloud when he saw what the nurse showed him.

"Carson? What is it?" Rodney asked. The rest of the team edged closer to hear what Beckett had to say.

"Dr Beckett, you recognise these wounds?" Dr Brooks, Daedalus' physician, queried, looking at the Scottish doctor.

Shocked blue eyes turned to stare at Brooks before turning to Caldwell and the rest of Sheppard's team. "Aye," he replied grimly. "They are Wraith feeding marks on the Colonel's chest… I've seen them before. It looks like Colonel Sheppard has been fed on, probably even more than once and somehow given his life back…"

"What! _Again?!_" Rodney stared, horrified at the news, "I _thought _he looked _younger_ under all that mud!" Various horrifying scenarios went through his mind at the thought of Sheppard being fed upon and given back the Gift of Life, with the cycle repeating itself over and over again as a form of horrifying torture. He remembered hearing about O'Neill's torture by Ba'al when he was at SCG, and he wondered whether the Wraith had done something similar to Sheppard. He closed his eyes and shuddered, not wanting to think about it.

"Aye, Rodney." Carson Beckett replied; his eyes unreadable but all could sense the anger and tension radiating from the physician at that moment.

---

Sheppard's team was sitting in the ship's cafeteria, waiting for news on Sheppard. Daedalus was too small to have a waiting room in the infirmary, so after having their bruises and minor injuries treated by members of Daedalus' medical crew, they had been chased out of the infirmary to wait in the ship's cafeteria area. Currently, the ship was speeding its way back to Atlantis.

McKay sat at the cafeteria table, fiddling with the butterfly strip placed over the cut at his forehead with a bowl of blue jello in front of him. When he got stressed, he ate. His chest still felt quite sore. According to the doctor who treated him, he currently had one cracked rib, which was now nicely bandaged too. He sighed, not liking this wait at all.

"Do you think Sheppard's been compromised?" Caldwell finally asked. He had been sitting with Sheppard's team, waiting for news with the rest of them. He was not happy to consider it, much less bring up the matter up with Sheppard's team, but this was his ship and he had the safety of his crew to consider.

Caldwell clearly remembered when he had been called into Weir's office in Atlantis and informed that Sheppard's team would need his help, or more accurately, Daedalus' warp-drive capabilities to reach planets that didn't have gate coordinates. According to Weir, the information that Teyla got out from the Wraith prisoner's mind was that captured prisoners were often taken to Wraith experimental labs scattered across the galaxy. Seeing that Sheppard and his team had destroyed a Wraith lab facility before his capture, this information made sense. He knew that Weir had also send out search teams to all the suspected planets with known Stargate addresses from the extensive list that Teyla got from their Wraith prisoner.

However, they soon discovered that not all the planets were populated or even had labs on them. The Wraith had been uncooperative and purposely tried to hinder their search, so in the midst of true planet coordinates it had chucked in a load of false trails along the way when Teyla tried to read his mind. Not prepared to take any chances, they had set out to check all of them in hopes of finding Sheppard. However, there were some planets that they didn't know the gate addresses and some, where the gate addresses simply didn't work. In such circumstances, they needed Daedalus' warp drive to reach them quickly.

So far, he had taken Sheppard's team to three other planets, with this last run, being the fourth and last planet on the list. Despite the false trails and some deserted planets, it was still disturbing how many Wraith experimental labs were scattered across the Pegasus galaxy. Personally, Caldwell felt that all this trouble was not worth the effort for just one man, even if that man was John Sheppard. He already had two members of his crew in the infirmary after being injured in a search mission gone bad. After all, Sheppard's team was not the only one that they were sending out to look for the missing man. There was a lot of ground to cover, and all the Wraith experimental labs that they came across and found no evidence of Sheppard, they made a point to destroy. SCG had sanctioned this, for they saw any Wraith lab as a danger to Earth and human beings in general.

When Weir had informed Caldwell why she needed his ship and his crew's help, he had his reservations to the wisdom of such a task. He wondered whether they were chasing a loss cause. Sheppard could easily be dead, fed on by the Wraith for all they knew. It wasn't a wise move and he thought that Weir knew it, but she has said to him, "Just give us two weeks of your time, that is all we ask, Colonel. We owe John Sheppard that much."

Caldwell had smiled then but it was a cynical smile. "Was that the argument that his team gave you?"

Weir had locked her green gaze at him before giving him a weary nod and an amused smile, while raising an eyebrow. "You must admit, they do make a strong point, Colonel. And I must say that I agree with them on this one. Besides, we don't leave our people behind and we're not about to abandon John, at least not without making some effort to find him first."

Caldwell had to agree with her. After all in the two years that he had gotten to know the man, he had come to have a grudging respect for Sheppard even though he might not necessary agree with everything that the younger man did or how he ran the military contingent of Atlantis. He understood Sheppard's concept of 'leave no man behind' principle and he understood why his team in particular felt the need to continue the search for him. So, he had kept his mouth shut and agreed to ferry Sheppard's team halfway across the galaxy in what he saw was a fruitless effort to search for a man who probably dead anyway.

But now (against the odds) they had found Sheppard alive and Caldwell had to consider whether the man had been compromised by the Wraith. After all, he had been a prisoner of the Wraith for over two weeks. Something like that could break a man, even a man like Sheppard. Despite not liking the taste in his mouth, he had to broach the matter with his team. After all, they were the ones who knew Sheppard best.

"What?!" McKay rounded on him now, his face furious, his eyes wide. "How can you even say such a thing?!" He could see that McKay was angry. "This is _Sheppard _that we're talking about. He'll _never_ betray us!"

Caldwell sighed. He was losing his patience on the matter and he really hated being the bad guy here. Somehow, McKay also always annoyed him. "From what I've heard of your reports, Sheppard didn't even you know who you were, Dr McKay. What's even more disconcerting is the fact that he's been given the Gift of Life. We don't know what went on during his time of capture. Much as I hate to say this McKay, but in my book there's a strong possibility that he gave information over to the Wraith in order to earn his life back."

McKay stared at Caldwell feeling a sense of shock and sudden dread. He recalled when he was on the planet thinking about the possibility that Sheppard had been brainwashed. Could what Caldwell say be true? Then he shook his head, angry at himself for doubting Sheppard. He glared at Caldwell and said, "Well, then you don't _know _John Sheppard as well as we do! Sheppard would _never _betray us or compromise Earth or Atlantis no matter what!"

"Are you _sure _about that Dr McKay? Can you stake your life on it, much less all the lives of those in Atlantis and all the people of Earth?" Caldwell demanded, his own voice rising in heated argument.

As Rodney stared at Caldwell, taking a deep breath before he replied, Ronon spoke up, surprising both men as the Satedan came to Rodney's and Sheppard's defence. "McKay's right, Sheppard isn't compromised," the warrior said in a low voice but with such certainty as he folded his arms across his chest; his long legs sprawled lazily on the second chair that he placed had in front of him where he currently sat.

Teyla approached McKay and Caldwell, trying to be the source of reason between the two men. "Colonel Caldwell," she said, "I believe that John would rather die first than betray his own people. In fact, he has proven himself many times over. I too do not believe that he would compromise Atlantis or Earth just to save his life."

"That's right!" Rodney agreed. "The colonel would never beg for his life much less trade for it; he would never endanger Atlantis or those whom he sought to protect. It's against Sheppard's protective nature!"

Caldwell looked at the members of Sheppard's team stoically before crossing his arms together and sighing. "Your trust in Sheppard is commendable, from all of you. But I am not willing to risk my ship and Earth or Atlantis based on that trust alone. It is almost a certainty that Sheppard would have been interrogated and possibly tortured by the Wraith. I'm sure that if he has been compromised, he did not do so willingly, after all, he is but a victim in this. However, as much as I hate to say this, I'm placing Sheppard under guard and am ordering Beckett to have him restrained until we can be sure of the matter."

"_What?!_" McKay raged out, he could not believe what he was hearing. "We barely got Sheppard back! He's currently in the infirmary, unconscious, incapable of defending himself. As you yourself admitted, it's more than likely that he has been restrained in some Wraith lab, probably had the crap beaten out of him, for all we know… So, what now? We're going to treat him like some goddamn _prisoner_ ourselves?! After all he's been through? I don't friggin' believe this!"

"I didn't say that I was happy with this, doctor," Caldwell replied tightly. Truth of the matter was, he wasn't. In fact he was pissed that he had to do this to the man who was currently lying in his ship's infirmary. But his couldn't let it colour his judgments; that was why he was commander of this ship. "While, he's on board my ship, he's to be in restraints."

At that moment, Carson Beckett came to the cafeteria; there was an unreadable look on his weary features. "I'm afraid that that won't be necessary Colonel."

Everyone turned to look at the doctor. "And why is that, doctor?" Caldwell asked, not liking the sound of this.

Carson's blue eyes locked onto his, making Caldwell want to take a step backwards. Rage and fury burned clearly in the doctor's blue eyes. For a moment, Caldwell wondered whether that anger was aimed at him or at the Wraith. But amidst that anger, he also detected helplessness and worry.

---

"Colonel Sheppard is dying. Even as we speak his body is shutting down. I don't really understand what's happening but his body appears to be releasing toxics into his system. At the rate of his deterioration, I don't think he'll survive the trip back to Atlantis and Daedalus' infirmary isn't capable of dealing with what we have here. Currently we're running tests over him, but until we get the results back I'm afraid that there's nothing we can do for him."

It was obvious to Carson that Rodney, Teyla and Ronon were devastated by the news. In fact, Colonel Caldwell also appeared shocked and upset by his words.

"But he seemed … _fine_ when he was on the planet… Sure, weary and tired and more than a bit loony, but _not_ dying…" McKay gasped out in shock.

Carson shook his head. "Aye, but the Wraith did something to him. Like I said I'll need to get the test results back first, but from what I've seen so far, his blood work is a mess. We also hope to run some scans over him to try to figure out what's wrong, but with Daedalus not equipped with some of the medical equipment that we need, we're a bit limited in our resources. However, Dr Novak has offered to help us set up some instruments; Rodney, I could possibly use your help in this too."

"Yes, yes, of course. Tell me what you need and I'll work with Novak on it."

Carson sighed and nodded his thanks. "Those Wraith bastards certainly did a number on the colonel. I tried giving him a sedative and pain killers to help with the pain but it only made matters worse." He shook his head despondently.

"I'm afraid Colonel Sheppard's not going to make it."

Beckett's harsh words caused stunned silence to his audience.

Finally Rodney spoke up again. "Did he… did he wake up at any time, Carson?" McKay asked hesitantly, gulping down hard at the news. In his mind, this wasn't right; Sheppard couldn't die just when they just got him back. It just wasn't fair. But then, when had any of them experienced any justice in the Pegasus galaxy?

Carson looked at him and blinked, feeling close to tears as he recalled the memory. "Aye Rodney, for a minute or two, he did. He recognised me, he called my name. He appeared pleased to see me… He also asked after you and Teyla and Ronon. I think he recalled a little of what happened, his fight with all of you, for I heard him murmur something about whether you were real. When I said, 'Aye', he closed his eyes for a second or two, but when he opened his eyes again, he said the oddest thing to me."

Beckett frowned now, recalling the words that he did not understand.

"What was it, Carson?" Teyla asked the question that everyone else in the room was wondering.

Carson looked up at them, hoping that perhaps they would have a better understanding of what Sheppard meant. "Just before he lost consciousness again, he said, '_Ask Rodney to look after Snacks for me'_."

He turned to look at McKay's surprised face and added, "I take it you don't know what he meant by that, Rodney?"

Rodney looked wide eyed and confused. "_Snacks_? Are you sure he said 'snacks'?"

"Aye," Beckett confirmed, "I'm pretty sure that's what he said. In fact, Dr Brooks was with me and he heard it too. Any idea what it means?"

---

To be continued


	17. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 24**

At Beckett's question, McKay looked devastated. "If you ask me, I think Sheppard's lost it, being delirious or something. Perhaps, he's thinking about the snacks I like to hoard in my lab, or maybe he was having a craving for the munchies. Sheppard's dying … and he's last words to us is about food!"

Beckett shook his head, disagreeing. "Somehow I got the feeling that it was more than that. When he looked into my eyes, he seemed lucid enough. After all, he recognised me."

McKay kept silent, not knowing what to make of it.

"May we see him, Carson?" Teyla finally asked in a soft voice. A small frown marred her smooth brow; she looked upset, in fact so did Ronon, McKay and even Caldwell.

"Aye," Beckett sighed. He hated this. He hated it when he felt helpless and couldn't do anything to help his patients. He hated it when he had bad news. "I don't know how long he will last, so perhaps now might be the best time to say your goodbyes."

Everyone seemed subdued by his words. Finally, Caldwell cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me, there are some duties that I have to attend to. I'm sure all of you would like time alone with Sheppard."

When Caldwell left, nobody argued with him.

---

Ronon approached Sheppard first, going through the opening of the white privacy curtains that surrounded a small space around the occupied infirmary bed. It was strange for the Satedan to see the Colonel lying so still, so silent. The last time he had seen him like that was when Beckett had been forced to place Sheppard in a medically induced coma when he had been accidentally infected by the retrovirus. Similar to that time too, Ronon noticed that there were metal restraints now attached to Sheppard's wrists. Seeing them disturbed him, causing the Satedan to frown. He knew that it wasn't Beckett's doing because he had been present when the doctor had protested. So that could only mean that Caldwell must have informed his medical staff about it earlier, perhaps while they were having their post-mission checks and their minor injuries attended to. When Carson left to inform them about Sheppard's condition, one of Caldwell's staff must have placed the shackles on the colonel. Ronon recognised Caldwell to be a cautious man who took no chances. For Sheppard's sake, the Satedan was glad that the pilot was unconscious. He didn't like to think how Sheppard would react if he had been awake to discover that his own people didn't trust him and was treating him like a prisoner.

The colonel was now wearing clean, blue scrubs; someone had shaven off the beard from his chin and washed the dirt and grime off his body. Ronon guessed that Beckett must have informed Daedalus' medical personnel that the colonel was normally clean shaven. His dark hair was also slightly damn from the wash that he had received earlier. Sheppard, he knew, never liked the infirmary, but at least he would appreciate being clean again. As he studied the colonel's prone form, Ronon decided that McKay was right - Sheppard did appear younger, perhaps by a year or two.

His gaze then went to the various machines that were attached to the colonel's body, monitoring the pilot's deteriorating condition. He sighed, hating this moment. He did not like being around death - death of friends; death of family. Ronon felt things deeply, even though on the outside he did not show it. He had seen all his friends, his family, killed in Sateda. With each death, he had vowed a vow of vengeance to kill as many Wraiths as he could. Hatred for the Wraith empowered him, yet at the same time, it ate at his soul. He dreamt of killing Wraith in all his years as a runner; he even took great pleasure in it. He was Death itself, especially to the Wraith. For seven years he had been a runner, and as a runner, he was the hunted as well as the hunter. But his life as runner had always been without peace, without hope, without friends, without home, without family; always on the run, always afraid. For seven long years he had merely existed, never truly lived.

But then one day, on a harsh, dry and too hot planet, he had met John Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan and his life had changed after that. Sheppard had given him back his life and his freedom. While he could not give Dex back his family, his friends, all those whom he had lost to the Wraith, the colonel did the next best thing; he gave the Satedan a new home along with the gift of acceptance, trust and friendship

When Ronon had first met Sheppard and Teyla, they were strangers; he even considered them as possible hostiles. He did not hate them as he hated the Wraith, but he did not consider them his friends either. He had captured Sheppard and Teyla, stunned them, tied them up, made them his prisoners and despite all of it, Sheppard had helped him, forgiven him, brought him Beckett to remove the Wraith tracker from his back. The Atlantean's actions had surprised him. When he lost his home, his world and all those whom he cared about, he never thought that he would ever gain a place in the world again or form attachments to people whom he would care about. In Sheppard's team, he had found friends, a place where he belonged and a new family. A family who fought the same battles, took the same risks, cared for one another, and never left their people behind. Sheppard came back for him when he thought that he would die by the hands of the Wraith in Sateda. He owed Sheppard his respect, his loyalty and his gratitude, if nothing else.

He had not yet moved from his position, watching in silence the unconscious and dying form of his friend attached to so many machines and monitors that it just didn't seem right. Ronon Dex felt grief and anger burn deep in his heart at the injustice of it all. He blamed himself. Sheppard was here because of him! Sheppard had saved his life on their last mission when Ronon had been hit by the Wraith stunner. In doing so, Sheppard was now paying the price for his sacrifice and bravery. Ronon was never good at saying goodbyes and he knew that he would not be good at it now. Yet, if he had to say goodbye to a man whom he owed more than his life to, there was something that he had to tell Sheppard, something that he never told Sheppard before. After all, Ronon was more a man of action rather than words. Now before Sheppard died, he felt the need to say something.

Pulling the empty visitor's chair close to the bed, he sat his tall frame down. He sighed, looked around to check that nobody was near, making sure that there were no witnesses peaking through the privacy screens. Satisfied, he turned his gaze back to John Sheppard, observing the warrior who had saved him; a man whom he respected for his bravery and courage. Sheppard's wiry frame might be deceiving to others, but Dex knew that under that lean frame, John possessed great determination and courage; he had the speed, agility and stamina of a warrior; he respected the man as a commander and a warrior. In fact, he had current bruises and cuts to prove it from his last encounter with Sheppard. But looking at Sheppard's too pale, sick and unconscious form now, he felt grief and sorrow weigh heavily in his heart; he knew that Beckett was right - Sheppard was dying. With slightly trembling fingers, he carefully lifted Sheppard's limp right hand; the metal shackles did not leave much space for movement but it was enough for him to do what he came here to do. Placing Sheppard's too warm palm in between both his hands, he cradled it in a tight clasp, his face twisting into a grimace of inner pain - of grief. It was a Satedan gesture of farewell, the clasping of the dying one's hand enfolded protectively around the one who cared: given only to the closest of relatives, to one's own family.

He then looked up to stare at Sheppard's face, seeing the perspiration beading on the colonel's forehead, watching as the respirator helped the man breathe, hearing the erratic heartbeats from the machine that the pilot was attached to. He knew that if he could trade his life for Sheppard's he would do so in a heartbeat. After all, this was a man who had given him back his life. But he was helpless, unable to help Sheppard in anyway and it was eating him up on the inside. He sighed, lowered his head for a second or two, his own hands still clasping Sheppard's limp one tightly; he was angry that he had to say a farewell that he did not want to. He lifted his head back up again to glare at Sheppard's unconscious form. It was time he spoke the words that had always been in his heart; it was something that he had never spoken verbally to Sheppard before for he felt that the colonel never required or needed to hear it from him. But Ronon felt the need to say it now.

"_Thank you_…," he hissed the words curtly, gripping Sheppard's hand harder than normal, wishing that he could give Sheppard some of his own strength, wishing that Sheppard would live. For a briefest, tiniest moment, he thought he detected movement in Sheppard's hand, the slightest pressure back, an acknowledgement of his presence perhaps. Ronon Dex did not know whether it was his imagination or whether Sheppard had really heard him, but whatever the case, he had said what he came to say. He refused to say goodbye. Warriors such as Sheppard should die in battle not in a bed linked up to so many machines and wires; it wasn't right. Suddenly, the small, enclosed space felt as if it was crushing down on him. Ronon was finding it hard to breathe. He did not want to be there any longer. With an abrupt move, he stood up, brushed away the dampness that he felt gathering at the corner of his eyes and stated gruffly, "You death will avenged, Sheppard."

With a quick stride out, he left the curtained enclosure. He did not turn back for a last look at his dying friend.

---

Teyla was waiting outside the infirmary with McKay while Ronon was inside saying his goodbyes to Sheppard. She folded her hands together around her waist almost hugging herself, feeling a dark grief wash over her and wishing desperately that they were not here, that Sheppard was not dying. She currently walked with a limp; her hip was sore due to a large bruise from a kick that Sheppard had given her while they were trying to subdue him. She also had a bruise on the left side of her cheek, but her darker complexion did not make the injury so obvious.

She turned to look at McKay. The scientist was currently pacing back and forth, looking lost and unsure with himself. His hands were constantly moving: scratching his hair, fiddling with his sleeve, hugging his sore ribs, digging into his pockets, bringing out a powerbar or two, looking at them and then placing them back into his pockets again. Every now and then, the scientist would stop, pause and look in the direction of the infirmary where Sheppard and Ronon were. That he did not want to say goodbye to Sheppard was obvious to Teyla. She knew that he desperately wanted to _do_ something, save the day, save Sheppard.

"Rodney, would you like to visit John next?" she asked, her hand going to McKay's forearm, trying to still his pacing.

Liquid blue eyes stared back at her.

"What?" McKay asked, locking his gaze with hers. For a scientist, Teyla noticed that McKay's eyes were very expressive. Currently, she read grief and anguish there. "No," he shook his head. "I haven't figured out what to — _say — _yet. No, you go next, Teyla, I'll go after you."

Teyla tried to give him an encouraging smile despite her own heavy heart. "Are you sure, Rodney?" Someone had to be strong for the team.

McKay nodded, his eyes refusing to meet hers now as he stumbled away to a corner, his shoulders rigid with tension as he crossed his arms across his chest and looked down. Teyla knew then that he wanted to be left alone.

At that moment, Ronon exited the infirmary, looking like he didn't want to be there anymore. Quickly Teyla reached out for the Satedan, halting him, wanting to offer comfort for the grief that she saw there.

"Are you alright, Ronon?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on his upper arm.

The Satedan glanced at her, grimaced and then looked away, breathing rapidly. He looked as bad as McKay.

"How is the Colonel?" she had to ask, she had to know before she saw John. Dex paused, looking down at her hand on his arm. She could sense the raw emotions that the Satedan was trying hard to suppress: _anger _and_ grief_; emotions that she understood very well herself - emotions that they all shared.

"He's dying…," came his curt reply. This time he cast a sideways glare at her, demanding her to refute him. When she didn't, he released a growl of frustration, brushed off her hand and strode hurriedly away. She suspected that he was going to Daedalus' gym. At the mood the Satedan was in, the Athosian knew that he felt the need to beat someone or something up. She felt sympathy for anyone who would take up the Satedan's offer of hand to hand combat at that moment. She prayed that the Satedan would not hurt them too much.

At Ronon's departure, she knew that it was her turn now to say farewell to the colonel. Her heart felt as if it was bleeding slowly with grief. She could not believe that John was dying, that they were truly going to lose him. She had lost all her family, her father, her mother, Charin - the old woman who was like a grandmother to her. When their peoples first met on Athos, John was the only one among his men who had not looked at her as if she were not there. She knew then that the young Major was somehow different from his leader, Colonel Sumner. On their first meeting, John had extended a hand of friendship and respect to Teyla and her people. In turn, Teyla Emmagan, Daughter of Tughan, had accepted that friendship for her people and for herself. Now, that man lay dying in Daedalus' infirmary.

Loss of a dear one was visiting her life once again. She could not bear the thought of John Sheppard dying. He was like family to her, a brother, a sometimes confidant, a true leader and friend. Many times, he had risked his life to save her and others. John and his team, they were all part of the same family, which was why she knew how the others felt – Rodney and Ronon. She felt a burning sensation at the edge of her eyes; she knew that she was close to tears. As with Charin and her parents, she was not ready to say goodbye to John Sheppard. Just as she knew that Rodney wasn't ready for it, as Ronon hadn't been ready for it.

She paused at the door the infirmary, holding the cool metal frame with her cold and stiff fingers. She closed her eyes, saying a silent prayer to the spirits of the Ancestors for strength of what she was about to do. She was just about to step into the infirmary when she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw Carson Beckett coming in with Dr Novak and Hermiod close at his heels. To her surprise, she also saw Ronon and Caldwell following behind them. Obviously the physician must have met up with the Satedan when he was leaving the infirmary.

Their stance alerted her that something was up.

"Teyla, Rodney! Hermiod has an idea on how to prolong Sheppard's life, at least long enough until we get him back to Atlantis!" Carson informed them excitedly.

The little Asgard nodded. "Drs Beckett and Novak have informed to me of Sheppard's plight. While we do not have an Asgard stasis pod on board, given the resources that we currently have, I do believe that I can modify the ship's computer enough to synthesise one that meets our needs."

---

To be continued


	18. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

_This chapter would have been posted earlier if only ff would let me. Anyway, a longer chapter for you because it was time I tossed back some cookies to all the kind reviewers. Thanks guys. I believe this chapter will answer some of your queries. ;D _

**Title: Uncommon ** **Alliance****  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 25 **

Hermiod pressed the button and the newly synthesized stasis pod activated, sealing Sheppard's body in it. The Asgard had modified the ship's computer, enabling it to synthesize the make-shift capsule quite similar to the one that had once housed O'Neill to prevent him from dying after his mind had downloaded the Ancient database a few years ago. However, before Sheppard was placed into it, both McKay and Teyla had reached out to touch their unconscious friend's body, be it a squeeze on the hand or a pat to the shoulder – something that gave comfort and reassurance, telling Sheppard that they were there, that he was not alone.

"We are here for you John," Teyla had muttered the words softly even though she knew that Sheppard was in no state to hear her as her hand moved from his hand to smooth away a stray lock of hair from Sheppard's sweat covered forehead. It was her last touch before the pod was sealed shut.

"You'll get through this, Sheppard, you'll be fine." McKay had added as he hovered anxiously next to her.

Ronon, who had carried Sheppard there and gently laid him down in the pod was silent the entire time. He had said what he needed to say back in the infirmary; therefore he didn't feel the need to say anything else here.

Hermiod turned to examine the readings of the activated stasis pod. "He is not well," Hermiod observed grimly.

"Oh? You realised that only now?" came McKay's biting respond.

Hermiod ignored the scientist. "In addition to creating the pod, I have also added an Asgard scanning device to determine what is wrong with Sheppard." He turned to blink his emotionless eyes at McKay and the others. "It performs better than the equipment that Dr Novak wanted to set up earlier for Dr Beckett's medical scans."

Novak looked embarrassed and gave a little hiccup. "Sorry," she apologised a little nervously. "I told Hermiod what we required, I fig… (hic!) ... figured that he would be able to (hic!) … to help."

"No need to apologise, lass," Carson said with a smile. "You did just fine, love."

Novak beamed with pleasure at his praise, "Thank… (hic!) … you, Dr Beckett!"

"So, what did you find?" Carson asked Hermiod, trying to look at the readings himself. "I got some preliminary reports back from the tests that we ran on Sheppard earlier and so far, I'm liking it less and less. Sheppard appears to be suffering from some form of withdrawal that's causing his body to shut down and worse yet, something is causing the release of lethal toxins that we can't even begin to identify into his body. Also, there are properties turning up that has me concerned, it's almost as if the Wraith had made some changes to his DNA."

"Changes? Like what?" Caldwell asked immediately as he folded his arms across his chest.

Beckett shook his head, "It's too early to tell, I'll need to examine him further, preferably back at Atlantis to better determine what's going on. However, there are also discrepancies in the X-rays that we took. We found a small blurred spot close to his aorta region that we haven't been able to identify yet. It's as if something is blocking or not allowing us to X-ray it."

Knotting his brows together, Caldwell appeared disturbed by this piece of news. "Do you think it could be a weapon? Could it be a bomb or something of a destructive nature?" He was thinking of the reports he had read of Cassandra, the little alien girl whom SG1 had found on a planet several years ago.

Before Beckett could reply, Hermiod shook its head. "No, Colonel Caldwell, the scanners indicate no such weapon in Colonel Sheppard's body. However, it does appear that Sheppard has two Wraith devices implanted in him; one in his brain and another in his chest, close to his heart, at the region where you indicated, Dr Beckett. I believe that it's that device that's causing all the discrepancies in his DNA…."

"_What?!_" McKay gasped out horrified by the news, as he quickly went to study the reports of the scanner himself.

"Did ye say _two _of those buggers in Sheppard?!" the Scottish doctor cursed aloud, appearing disturbed and shocked as well. "Granted, I suspected that the Wraith might have implanted something in Sheppard for him to have such an adverse reaction, but this?! Bloody hell! The poor laddie!" He shook his head with sympathy before continuing. "It's fortunate that I hadn't run an MRI head scan on the Colonel because I suspected that whatever was causing the disturbance on X-rays machines might have a metal component built into it and I didn't want to take any chances."

Hermiod nodded. "It is a good thing that you didn't, Dr Beckett; such an action could have possible harmed Sheppard further as in all probability, the devices inside of him are made of metal. However, from what I've been able to deduce from readings given, both devices are quite different in nature. The one implanted in Colonel Sheppard's head was easily detected by the scanner, but the one lodged in his chest is another matter..."

"So, how do we remove them?" the Commander of the Daedalus asked, getting to the heart of the matter, his stance rigid with tension.

Hermiod blinked and shot a look at Caldwell. "It may be possible for me to try to beam out the one lodged in Sheppard's brain. Currently the energy reading that I'm picking up from the scanner appears dormant, which seems to indicate it's waiting for instructions from someone or something."

"That doesn't sound good," Caldwell commented.

"No it does not," Hermiod agreed. "However, as I stated before, I believe that I could possibly extract the device from his head."

"But…?" McKay asked; there was always a but. Nothing ever came easy in the Pegasus galaxy.

Hermiod blinked again as he looked up at McKay. "It is likely that Sheppard may suffer from some residue effects."

"Residue? Like what?" asked Beckett, frowning in concern, this time beating McKay to the question. What Hermiod said wasn't boosting his confidence about Sheppard's chances of recovery.

Hermiod shook his head. "I am uncertain; perhaps memory loss, confusion or even some undesirable phantom effects resulting from the implant."

"Meaning that Sheppard could possibly still experience some screwed-up version of the device even though it's been removed from his mind," McKay stated, not liking this at all.

"Exactly," Hermiod replied.

"But what's the purpose of the implant? Is it some sort of mind control to get Sheppard to do what the Wraith wants?" This question came from Caldwell again. Teyla and Ronon both looked concern by his query and McKay and Beckett shared a look that informed them that they knew where Caldwell was heading with this. Both men's features were grim but they didn't say anything.

Hermiod studied the readings silently once more as he thought about it. "It is a likely possibility but I am unable to say for certain until the device has been extracted and I can examine it for myself."

Caldwell nodded. It looked like more and more that he was right about insisting that Sheppard was kept restrained despite the protests from Carson and Sheppard's team. In his mind, the metals shackles were not coming off until they were certain that Sheppard had not been compromised.

"You did mention that there are some changes to his DNA, didn't you, doctor?" The last query was directed at Beckett. "Is he turning into a Wraith?" The question was blunt, not sugar coated in any way. Caldwell looked down at the unconscious man in the stasis pod and felt sorry for the guy, recalling the time when Sheppard had morphed partially to a bug.

"_What?!_" Beckett appeared stunned by Caldwell's question.

"Now, look here Colonel Caldwell, Sheppard may be sick, but he's still a human being and he's still one of us! Anyone with two good eyes could see that!" McKay cut in, fuming at the very suggestion; his lower chin jutted out stubbornly in anger. "Or perhaps you need a set of new eyes, or better yet a new brain?"

Teyla touched Rodney's forearm as if to calm him down before speaking up. "I can assure you, Colonel Caldwell; John is _not_ turning into a Wraith. I am sure that I would be able to sense it otherwise. However, I do sense _something_…." She frowned at her last words; the others waited for her to continue. After a while she shook her head and looked apologetic. "I am sorry; I am unable to determine what it is. It is just, something, perhaps a presence that is John…."

Beckett sighed. "Colonel Caldwell, just because there are some discrepancies in Colonel Sheppard's DNA doesn't mean that he's the bad guy here. Let's not jump into any conclusions until we have more information at hand. Sheppard is still human by all accounts, but there are things that are going on with his physiology that we can't determine yet. I mean, Sheppard is the only one whom we know who has received the Gift of Life not once but twice! That makes him a very unique individual by all accounts. We don't know whether the changes happening to him are the result of him receiving the Gifts of Life again or the direct result of what the bloody Wraith did to him."

"It makes no difference, doctor. They're Wraith; it's not as if we know any good Wraith here," Caldwell replied curtly.

"I beg to differ," McKay said as he raised a finger.

"Excuse me?" Caldwell glared at him.

"Good Wraith, or at least a Wraith that wasn't our enemy, or should I say, not Sheppard's enemy," McKay replied.

Caldwell looked impatient now. "Dr McKay you're not making any sense. What are you trying to say?"

McKay looked the older man and jutted his chin forward stubbornly as he crossed his arms. "Kolya's Wraith, the one whom Sheppard escaped with when he was captured by Kolya… There's a lot that we don't understand about them, but according to Sheppard, that Wraith wasn't all that bad. After all, it saved Sheppard's life when it didn't need to…"

"Wraith is Wraith, McKay." This comment came from Ronon. "There is no such thing as a good Wraith. The only good Wraith is a dead Wraith."

Caldwell smiled smugly at the ex-runner's words. However, the Satedan swiftly rounded on the Daedulus' commander, not giving him the satisfaction of a gloat. "Not that I'm agreeing with you about Sheppard, Colonel. He's no Wraith, and he's _no_ traitor."

The smile faded and Caldwell quickly turned his gaze away from the angry Satedan, clearing his throat slightly as he brought the subject back to why they were there. "I believe that we were discussing the removal of the implant from Sheppard's head?"

"Yes," Hermiod nodded. He had watched the confrontation between Sheppard's team and Caldwell in silence, reserving his judgment on the matter.

"I recommend that you get the damn thing out of him now."

"Wait!" Carson objected, shooting Caldwell a dark look.

"What now?" Caldwell said, losing his patience.

"Is it safe?! The procedure, I mean?" Beckett asked Hermiod. After all, he had to consider what was best for his patient's well being. "I mean if you did it now, here, rather than in the infirmary, that is, beamed out the device implanted in his head?"

"As a doctor, you should know that there are always risks involved in any medical procedure," Hermiod replied honestly. "Hopefully, he will survive the extraction with minimal damage."

"_Hopefully?!_'" McKay repeated, sounding aghast.

Caldwell shook his head grimly and pursed his lips together. "What other _choice _do we have?" he asked, turning to face Sheppard's team. However, he only gave them a cursory glance before addressing his next question to Beckett. "If you know of a safer way to remove the device, doctor, I suggest you speak up now."

When Beckett shook his head, Caldwell turned back towards Sheppard's team, just to see their reaction. They were all looking glum and worried. Standing further back, he noticed Novak, who had remained silent all this time, trying to make herself invisible from the confrontation. It was obvious to him that she didn't want to be in on this conversation and frankly, who could blame her? Caldwell sighed. As commander of the Daedalus, it was his job to make the tough decisions, even if it were not always to his liking. He wished that Sheppard's team wouldn't always treat him like the bad guy here. His decision was also based on Sheppard's best interest.

"If it were me, I would want to have that damn implant out of my head, no matter what the risks."

At Caldwell's words, Ronon spoke up, "I believe Sheppard would approve." The Satedan knew that he too would rather risk death than be a pawn of the Wraith. Sheppard, he was certain, would feel the same way.

"Well… as much as I would like to disagree with you, Colonel Caldwell," came McKay's reply, "I must admit that in this instance, I'll have to agree with you and Ronon, Sheppard would want this."

"I too believe this that this is true." Teyla added her thoughts to the matter.

Caldwell nodded, feeling a sense of relief and in some ways, gratitude that he had the team's support on this.

"Okay then," Beckett said, looking at the Asgard, "So, how shall we do this?"

Hermiod looked at the Scottish doctor and blinked. "I shall start the extraction procedure, but this will take a while. We've discovered that the human brain is a delicate organ that can easily be damaged. The removal of the device is more complicated than just beaming it out; precautions must be set in place to ensure that the procedure is done correctly. However, I could use your medical assistance, Dr Beckett, to monitor his life readings and let me know if anything changes."

Beckett nodded, he didn't like feeling helpless especially since he was the doctor here, but at least Hermiod was allowing him to help out.

"Wait!" McKay suddenly exclaimed. "What about the device implanted in his chest, can you remove it too?"

At this, Hermiod shook his head. "I'm afraid the device in Sheppard's chest is vastly more complicated."

"What?" McKay asked. "Complicated, like how?"

The little Asgard turned to look at the human scientist. "As Dr Beckett noted earlier, the second implant is intertwined close to Sheppard's aorta region, near his heart. It appears to be injecting something into the Colonel's bloodstream. It is my belief that it is the one responsible for Sheppard's current predicament."

McKay blanched. "You mean that's the thing that's _killing _him? Then by all means we should get the freakin' thing out from him!"

"Yes, but unfortunately it is also the most difficult to extract," Hermiod paused as if considering his next words. "I do not believe that I can safely remove it without killing Sheppard in the process."

"So, beaming it out is out the question then?" Caldwell observed grimly.

"I believe I have already stated that quite clearly, Colonel Caldwell," came the little Asgard's annoyed response. He was beginning to find this line of questioning tiring. His patience could only be stretched so far and Hermiod was not really known for his patience, especially among his own kind. "Not unless you want Sheppard dead."

"Well, we surely _don't_ want _that_," Caldwell added curtly under his breath, clearly used to Hermiod's manners.

"So, what's causing the problem?" McKay asked again as he hadn't got a reply to that yet. Things always never came easy with Sheppard.

"According to our scanners, the device appears to have some sort of shield surrounding it that doesn't allow us to lock onto it. Every time I try to do so, it generates a disturbance field that hides its coordinates and hinders our tracker. It also appears to have the ability to move around, not staying still at the aorta region, which means that it has some artificial intelligence programmed into it."

"Well, that doesn't sound encouraging," stated Caldwell with a scowl.

"I agree," Hermiod replied as the little alien turned to blink at the Daedalus' commander. "Unless we can find a way to neutralise it, there is nothing else that we can do for Sheppard but monitor his condition." The Asgard now swirled its head towards Beckett. "However, I do believe that your earlier assumption is correct, Dr Beckett. From the information here, Sheppard does appear to be suffering from some severe withdrawal symptom which is causing the device implanted in him to release the toxins into his body. If we can find out what Sheppard needs, it could certainly help improve his condition… By while he's in the stasis pod, his condition should not deteriorate further and it should allow us to keep him alive long enough to get back to Atlantis. Once there, you should be able to continue your medical examinations and treatments of him."

Beckett nodded, but he still looked concerned and grim. "Aye, as long as I can figure out a way to help the Colonel, I will. There are some new Ancient technology there that I'm hoping would be able to help us identify or neutralise that second device in him."

"Very well then," Caldwell stated, "I guess it's one step at a time. First, we extract the implant from his brain and we'll worry about dealing with the second device when we get back to Atlantis." However, he still knew that he had to report the latest developments to SGC as well as to the IOA (which he never liked), in addition to Atlantis. The other two organisations had taken a keen interest in Sheppard's capture as well as rescue mission and he had been ordered to report to them on the progress.

Hermiod nodded as he looked at Beckett, "I shall begin the extraction process now. As I mentioned before, this procedure could take some time."

---

_The breeze blew softly, caressing his skin, bringing comfort to his overheated, feverish and sweat soaked skin. As he walked, he heard the sound of his own footsteps pressing and crushing on the fertile grass under his feet. He was the middle of a golden wheat field; at least it looked like a wheat field, very similar to the one he once saw in the movie, Gladiator. Like Maximus, his hand reached out to touch the tips of the golden wheat, feeling the soft foliage brush against his fingertips. He smiled, enjoying the feel of it as he wondered about his whereabouts. A small frown slowly creased his forehead as the realisation dawned that this wasn't right, that this wasn't real, that he shouldn't be here but somewhere else. _

_There was a familiar presence nearby; he turned, wondering why it was here. He knew then that it was here because of him, because it had felt and sensed his pain. A memory surfaced. Once, on another world, it had acknowledged him as a brother stating that they were more alike than he knew. The thought disturbed him. He refused to think himself as Wraith. They were different, and yet, in many other levels, they were the same. They were both warriors and they were both individuals who stood by their word. Ultimately, they both would do anything for their family and friends, even die if necessary. However, as fate saw fit to use them as pawns of its joke, they were also uncommon allies to one another. _

_"Ah Sheppard," the Wraith called his name, standing still now to watch him. He too stopped, pausing in his walk through the wheat field, turning to look at the Wraith who had named him kinsman, brother, one of its own. It still felt strange to think of this one as his friend, an ally, someone whom he could trust and yet, in some strange, undeniable way, it felt right. _

_"I see that you have returned to your people, Sheppard… but you are still dying." Its tone seemed sad, regretful… _

_He gave the Wraith a wry smile. Ly'wyne. That was what it had named itself. Not its actual name, but a name that seemed appropriate nonetheless. _

_"Why are you here? Or better yet, why am **I** here?" he asked, walking towards it now. "Is this a dream? Or is this something that you are projecting into my mind?" _

_The Wraith chuckled as it moved towards him, approaching closer. "It is both, in a manner of speaking… You seek refuge Sheppard, refuge from the pain that your body is in; refuge from what you have suffered in your mind. Yet, I also sense that something has changed now, that you are somewhere in-between neither life nor death … There is a strange stillness about you as if everything has stopped. Do you not feel it?" _

_Sheppard frown deepened before he slowly nodded, feeling a coldness now creeping up his limbs, brushing away the fiery fever and pain that had raged in him earlier. He did not know what was happening, but he felt odd, as if he was in limbo or in No-man's land, stuck somehow in-between worlds and he did not understand it. _

_"What is happening?" he asked, looking up at the Wraith. _

_Lf'wyne shook its head. "Ah, Sheppard, I do not know. It is as if your body now is in a state of …" It paused, its eyes widening slightly as if it figured it out. Then it smiled and nodded at Sheppard. "I believe that you have been placed in a stasis chamber very much like what we have onboard our Hive ships. Your body sleeps now, neither dying nor living…" _

_"Stasis chamber? Am I back in At…" he clamped his mouth shut, refusing to say the word 'Atlantis' in the Wraith's presence. He turned his gaze back to Lf'wyne. "Why are you here?" _

_The Wraith smiled. "I was concerned. I came because I sensed that you needed me, that you were dying. I feared that I was too late…." _

_"Are you?" he asked, wondering that fact himself. Then he shook his head. "We are too far away; you won't be able to get to where I am. Besides, if you came, my people would shoot you on sight. Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but our people **are** enemies after all…." _

_The Wraith chuckled. "Ah, Sheppard, I see that you have not lost your sense of humour. But I have the information that you need. If you wish to live, Sheppard, I must get it to you. Where are you now?" _

_Sheppard paused, that was something that he could not tell the Wraith. No matter how much he liked the guy, no matter how much he wanted to trust this Wraith in particular, he knew that he could never reveal Atlantis and its location; even if it was Lf'wyne who was standing before him, even if it could save his life. Besides, if what he remembered was true, he was onboard the Daedalus, not Atlantis. Perhaps, if he could somehow meet the Wraith somewhere else? _

_The Wraith sensed his hesitation. "Ah, you do not trust me. I understand," it said a little sadly. "I too would not tell you of my brethrens' whereabouts, given **what** we are, given **who** we are. If only you were Wraith, I believe we would have been close brethrens indeed. So… what should we do then?" _

_Sheppard looked at the Wraith. "Perhaps if I can meet you somewhere…?" He tried to think of a coordinate, some neutral place for the both of them… _

_The Wraith nodded, seemingly able to following his train of thought. "Ah, yes, if there is a planned meeting point, will you be able to get there?" _

_"I'll find a way." He wasn't sure how yet, but somehow he knew that if he wanted to live, he had to find a way. _

_His reply seemed good enough for the Wraith. _

_"Very well," Lf'wyne replied. _

_Sheppard nodded as he thought up of an appropriate meeting site and gave the coordinates to the Wraith. _

_"Do you approve?" _

_The Wraith considered it and nodded with a smile. "It is a good choice, Sheppard. I will be in touch with you again once I get there." With those words, Lf'wyne image winked out, vanishing in front of him. _

_Sheppard stood there in the golden wheat field alone now. As he looked around, he decided that this wasn't his thing. If this was his dream, he preferred to be up flying in the air…. Just as the thought formed, he felt a sudden throbbing in his skull. He grunted in pain, grabbed his head as darkness washed over him and swept him away…. _

---

It had been an extremely long and emotionally exhausting day. The removal of the Wraith implant in Sheppard's head had taken Hermiod longer than expected. Halfway through the procedure, the Asgard had encountered a problem when Beckett had alerted him of a change in Sheppard's readings. As a result, Hermiod had been forced to backtrack and go slower than usual. When he finally managed to beam out the device from Sheppard's head, Hermiod noticed that the extraction process had caused some damage to the tiny device but hopefully not to their patient. Because the Colonel was in the stasis pod, there was no way the pilot could be treated if a problem had occurred. Fortunately, Hermiod and Carson both assured them that Sheppard's grey matter was still in one piece, perhaps a little sore from where the device had left evidence its nasty mark on him, but at least Sheppard was still alive. However, whether there was going to be any repercussion to Sheppard from the implant or its extraction, was yet to be determined.

Sheppard's team was under no disillusionment, they all knew that they could still lose John if they couldn't find a way to save him. Teyla, Ronon and Beckett had stayed with Sheppard while McKay, too hyped up and feeling the need to do something else, decided to gather Sheppard's personal belongings and look after them for him until the pilot was well enough to receive them back. In Rodney's mind, he could accept no other outcome: Sheppard was going to survive this; he was going to be all right. After finding out where the colonel's things were kept from one of the ship's nurses, McKay walked into a small, sealed compartment situated at the back of the infirmary. The Daedalus nurse informed him that she had placed Sheppard's personal items on a cabinet there. Locating the cabinet, he saw Sheppard's empty holster and a sealed leather pouch placed on the shelf. The holster, he recognised but not the pouch, which had the top tied securely in a knot either by Sheppard or by a nurse who didn't want whatever was inside to accidentally fall out. Curious, he wondered what Sheppard kept in it.

As he moved to pick it up, he felt something heavy and warm wiggle inside the pouch; there was also a noise that sounded very much like an indignant chirp emanating from it. _Crap! Was there something alive in there? Surely not! _He quickly untied the knot and then almost dropped it, letting out a girlish squeak of shock when something with a face of a chipmunk and the body of a ferret poked its head out of the pouch and looked up at him accusingly. Bright beady eyes glared furiously (and a little dazedly) at him as if accusing him of trapping it in the pouch all this time. Simultaneously, the little critter's nose twitched and sniffed about cautiously as if wondering where it was.

Trying to calm down his hammering heart, McKay said, "A friggin' stowaway! I guess you must have been stunned too when Sheppard was hit by Ronon's blaster, huh? I guess that's why nobody noticed you." He recalled his own experience of a stunner blast when they had captured the Wraith a few weeks back while the little critter continued to chatter angrily at him. "Oh, _believe _me, I _know _how _that _feels! No wonder you're so cranky!"

Looking at the little furry creature in his hands, his curiosity reached its heights as he lifted it up closer to his face to examine it. "I wonder _what _type of species are you? I've never seen anything like you before…" A nostalgic smile suddenly appeared on his face. "Hmmm, you're kinda cute… kinda reminds me of my cat…"

Gently, he pulled the little alien creature out of its pouch. To his surprise, he noticed that the critter had a set of elegant eagle-like wings and that one of its wings was bandaged with letters written on it in black marker and something else drawn on it. He could recognise Sheppard's bold handwriting anywhere… Wanting to know what it said, he allowed the little critter to scramble onto his chest, while he tried to support its weight with his right hand, so that he could have a closer look at the bandaged wing. "Let's see…" he muttered softly to himself. His blue eyes widened in surprise when he finally read the words. "'SNACKS'… Oh God, so _you're _Snacks! Sheppard was trying to tell us about you all along! And here, I thought he was hungry or just plain delirious!"

By now, McKay had Snacks curled up between his chest and under the hook of his arm. His other hand caressed under its furry neck, just like he used to do with his cat back home on Earth. Was that purring sounds, he heard? As his fingers brushed playfully against its mouth, he suddenly felt a set of sharp teeth bite down on his middle finger… hard… as if it thought it was a snack or something. He remembered using that finger to dip into his blue Jello earlier while in the cafeteria; it was a bad habit he sometimes had in order to test the consistency of the Jello before he ate it. The smell of it must have made the creature think that his finger was a source of food.

"Ow!" he shrieked aloud.

Snacks, either startled or trying to escape (he wasn't certain which) scrambled up his chest, onto his shoulder until it reached the top of his head and sat, perched up there, for a second or two.

"Hey! Hey! Get off me! Genius brain resides in there, not a seat for strange alien animals!" McKay cried out as his hands moved to try to pull Snacks off from his precious hair. The little creature squawked in panic and in its terrified scrambling, pulled a couple of hair strands painfully off McKay's head (much to the scientist's horror) as it took a wild leap off from its top perch aiming towards the floor. With one extended wing flapping lopsidedly in alarm and all its paws skirting about in the air, it landed awkwardly on its wounded side, giving out a painful shriek before all four paws went skidding over the smooth floor as it spun about like an out of control top. The momentum spun it to hit the edge of the opened door, bringing its spinning slide to an abrupt halt and another high pitched shriek. But before McKay could reach it, it shook its head woozily while giving out a dismal chirp. Then it dashed out of the door, narrowly missing an infirmary chair, while bounding off in a drunken sprint, heading out towards the corridors of Daedalus.

"_Snacks!_" McKay yelled out feeling frazzled and shocked both at the same time as he scrambled after it. He noticed that the little critter wasn't running in a straight line, which meant that it was either still dizzy from the spin and tumble that it took or it had a head injury that affected its equilibrium. With the bandage on its wing, it was obvious that Sheppard had taken a liking to the critter and must have been nursing it back to health. Still running, McKay stuck his wounded finger into his mouth, sucking the tiny drop of blood from it before quickly removing it as a horrible thought formed in his mind. "Oh dear God…, I really hope you _don't_ have any alien form of _rabies_, cos I really, _really_ _don't_ want to _die _screaming like a raving lunatic while _foaming _in the _mouth!_"

He tried to increase his speed and ease the panic forming deep inside him, while at the same time, keep up with the little winged creature. _I really should do more running with Sheppard and eat less powerbars!_

"Snacks! Hey, hey! Come back here!" he called, noticing that it was now heading towards where Sheppard had been taken. The stasis pod hadn't been kept in the infirmary as Hermiod needed to hook it up to specific power outlets that the infirmary didn't accommodate. Knowing that he would not be able to catch it in time, he tapped his radio urgently on, activating it. When he heard the familiar Scottish brogue answer him on the other side, he yelled out, "You guys are about to receive a small visitor of the furry kind, for God's sake, _don't_ let Ronon shoot it!"

---

To be continued

A number of you mentioned that the Wraith's name was too complicate to remember. Entirely my fault, as I wanted his name to be unique. That's because I suspect that Wraiths would have very different and probably hard to remember names compared to ours (if they do have names). Unfortunately, the down side is... it's a hard name to remember… so feel free to refer to him as the nameless wraith or whatever else, if you want to. :)

_Unknown_, good guess about the stasis pod. We were obviously having the same line of thought. Cool suggestions btw. :)


	19. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

Thanks everyone for all your feedback. As always, I love reading them!

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 26**

McKay was quite a distance off from the room where Sheppard and the rest of his team were, but in spite of it, he could still heard loud sounds of commotion emanating from inside the chamber as people attempted to catch the little winged, accidental stowaway.

Ronon finally managed to snag it by stomping down (not too hard) on its tail as it attempted to run past the Satedan's feet. Dex's action however elicited a loud string of infuriated shrieks from Snacks. The Satedan simply smirked knowing that he actually hadn't hurt it all that much as he bend down to pick it up and examine it, wondering at the same time whether it would make a good hunting companion. Earlier it had tried to scramble clumsily onto Sheppard's smooth stasis pod but failed miserably as it found the shiny surface too smooth for its paws and claws. To all in the room, the creature obviously knew Sheppard as it desperately tried to get to the unconscious man, making pitiful and distressed sounds when it couldn't. Now, holding it upside-down by its tail, Ronon grinned and turned his head sideways while lifting it up to look at the strange furry critter with a bandaged wing. At his action, Snacks turned its head, aiming sharp, angry copper coloured eyes at its captor. It hissed, squeaking indignantly before Ronon suddenly felt himself the victim of a glob of alien spittle hitting him squarely on the left cheek, narrowly missing his eye.

He gave out a Satedan curse, brushing the spit away, feeling a burning sensation on his cheek as he wiped his face at the side of his sleeve.

"Ronon? Are ye all right?" Beckett asked in concern as he quickly approached the Satedan, taking out a soft cloth soaked with antiseptic liquid and cleaning Ronon's cheek. "Hmm, looks like that wee creature has some defensive properties. Good thing you wiped it off quickly lad, any longer and it might have stung worse."

Dex just grunted, scowling darkly as he looked more warily at Snacks now, holding it further away from his face.

The Scottish doctor watched how the Satedan was holding it before he spoke again. "Er, Ronon lad, I don't think it likes being held that way." Beckett knew that _he _wouldn't like to held up-side-down, especially _not _by his bruised and stomped on tail, that is, if he were the little critter. No wonder it spat at Ronon.

McKay suddenly arrived, panting loudly and out of breath from his recent sprint as he reached and grabbed the metal doorway for support, yelling out, "Ronon! Please _don't_ hurt it! It's _Snacks!_ Sheppard's Snacks!"

"I _wasn't_ going to harm it," Ronon replied curtly, shooting the scientist an annoyed glare. He considered giving it a good smack at the back of the head for almost taking out his eye with that spittle, but _he _wasn't about to admit that to McKay. He knew that if he was still a runner and half-starved, he would be wondering what Snacks tasted like, but he decided that the strange winged creature would certainly make a good hunting companion, that is, if it was trainable.

"What? Snacks? _This _is Snacks?" Beckett asked in astonishment as he turned to look at McKay before aiming his stare at the still wiggling and infuriated little beast now held more firmly in Ronon's large hands. The Satedan had finally decided to take pity on the wee thing and place it in his hands, holding it right side up now.

Teyla approached Snacks, holding out her long slim arms towards it with a friendly smile lighting her face. "Here, please allow me, Ronon." She reached out her hands and gently took Snacks off from the Satedan, cradling the little furry critter in her arms, loving the feel of its soft brown fur as she caressed it. "Oh," she said, beaming with delight in her eyes as she got a good look at its face, "it is so _cute!_"

"Be careful, it spits," warned Ronon darkly.

Teyla smiled at him. "Ronon, I believe that the reason it did so was because it felt threatened. No animal likes to be held by its tail." She turned back to face Snacks and smiled down at it, while caressing its tummy. "Do not fear me, Snacks. I shall not harm you." Her smile widened when Snacks squeaked up at her and seemed to wag its catlike tail. It was obviously enjoying all the attention that Teyla was showering upon it. "_You are sooo cute!_" the Athosian observed with another smile.

Rodney, who was watching the scene from the sidelines, while trying to get his breath back to more normal levels, rolled his eyes, wondering if that last phrase was prevalent to all females when in presence of (okay, he'll admit it) _cute _furry creatures, regardless of whether they were in the Milky Way or Pegasus Galaxy. Teyla seemed to behave exactly the same way when he had dumped his beloved cat on his female next-door neighbour when he was leaving for Atlantis. Now all he needed was to wait for the '_aww_' sounds, which to his ultimate surprise came from Beckett instead of Teyla.

McKay hid a chuckle. "Yes," he replied to Carson's earlier question. "That's Snacks all right. Sheppard wrote its name on the bandage with a black marker pen. Did you see the doodle that the Colonel did next to Snacks' name? Only _Sheppard _would think up something like that!"

"What doodle?" Beckett asked curiously as he, Teyla and Ronon leaned their heads forward, turning Snacks around so that they could have a good view of its bandaged wing. There was a mixture of laughter and smiles when they saw a cartoon sketch of Snacks flying about dropping stinky poo bombs on a badly drawn representation of a Wraith's head with small lettering of 'Daffy' written next to it.

"It looks like this 'Daffy' made quite an impression on the Colonel and _not _in a good way," Beckett commented.

"You think?" McKay quipped in agreement. "Well, obviously the Colonel's made a new friend _and_ a new enemy. I'll say he's going for even."

"You think this 'Daffy' is the one who held John captive?" Teyla asked looking disturbed by this.

"Knowing Sheppard's inclination for naming Wraiths _and _the fact he named this one after a cartoon character… I'll say that's definitely a yes," McKay replied. He reached out now to pat the furry little critter. Snacks twitched its nose, looking eagerly at McKay's pockets as if trying to sniff it. Rodney patted them down and suddenly recalled the powerbars that he kept in there. He looked at Snacks then back at his pocket again. _Could it be? _His hand went in and removed the nutrition bar. Instantly Snacks eyes lighted up with excitement. At the same time, it looked at McKay and gave him a happy chirp.

"Hmm, I see that _someone _has been feeding you powerbars," Rodney stated, knowing that that 'someone' could be none other than John Sheppard. He peeled off the wrapper, took a bite off from the powerbar himself before tearing a small piece off and handing it to Snacks. The little creature instantly gobbled it up and squeaked in delight, its little pink tongue coming out to lick the sides of its mouth with a soft 'slurping' sound. Rodney smiled as he reached out to pat Snacks again. He had long forgiven Snacks for taking a nip at his finger earlier, though he still needed to see Beckett about getting a tetanus shot and also get the wound checked out, just in case. He always had a soft spot for his cat and the little furry fuzzball reminded him of it, even if he wasn't willing to admit it to anyone else. Silently, he wondered if Sheppard knew about him missing his cat. Was that why the colonel had asked him to take care of it? Well, it didn't really matter now; Sheppard had requested it and McKay wasn't going to disappoint the pilot no matter how infuriating he could be at times. Besides, he decided that he liked Snacks. He wondered whether he could train the little critter to steal food off the Satedan's plate when he ate in the mess hall. That could be quite entertaining to watch.

McKay gaze went to the bandaged wing again and to the copper brown eyes that still seemed a little unfocused to him. "Hey there, little fella, don't be frightened," he said softly, speaking to it like how he used to speak to his cat. He could sense Teyla watching him with amusement in her eyes. He chose to ignore her. His hand went softly to its bandaged wing. "Don't worry, Snacks. I'll make sure that Uncle Carson fixes you up and make you all better…"

Teyla smiled at his words. McKay looked up and gave her lop sided grin as an irate Scottish voice rang out behind him.

"_Good lord, Rodney! I'm NOT a bloody vet!_"

---

Elizabeth Weir was heading back to her office when Chuck, the Gateroom technician, called her, "Ma'am we've just received word from the Daedalus. They should be arriving in Atlantis shortly."

"Very well, Chuck, inform them that Beckett's team and I will meet them at Docking Bay One," she said as she checked her earpiece, making sure that it was working properly as her heart began to increase in beat. Earlier, Caldwell had radioed in from the Daedalus to inform her that they had found Sheppard. All those in Atlantis had rejoiced at the news, but not long after that, Caldwell made contact again with the news about Sheppard's deteriorating condition. They had received the news solemnly, the earlier gaiety replaced by worry and concern instead. When she received the report about the Wraith implants in Sheppard, she had closed her eyes, greatly troubled, while whispering the words softly to herself, "Why are things never easy for you, John?"

Later, she received a transmission from SGC saying that the IOA would be sending a representative to Atlantis to question John when he was conscious again.She had not been happy about the news but there was nothing that she could do about it. Knowing the IOA, she didn't think that John would be in for a good time.

It didn't take her long to arrive at the docking bay, meeting up with two of Beckett's personnel who were waiting for the arrival of their CMO and their latest patient. Soon, she heard the battle cruiser landing, followed by confirmation over the radio. She didn't have to wait long before the bay doors opened and she caught sight of Beckett in the lead, urgently pushing what could only be a stasis pod in front of him. Following closely behind him was Sheppard's team: Teyla, Ronon and McKay, who was currently cradling a cardboard box close to his chest (making Weir wonder what was inside it). All three wore urgent and worried looks on their faces. Colonel Caldwell who was following further behind, was currently giving out some instructions to his crew.

"How is he?" she asked Beckett as she approached him, looking into the glass seal to see Sheppard's unconscious form lying inside. He looked so still that for an instance, she feared that he was dead.

"He's still alive," Beckett assured her. "We've got to get him to Atlantis infirmary as quickly as possible before the stasis pod runs out of the temporary power that Hermiod set in place for the transfer."

Weir nodded. "Yes, Colonel Caldwell informed me about it, but I didn't get an explanation why you couldn't just beam Sheppard down to the infirmary?"

McKay answered her. "In order to synthesize the stasis pod and keep it running, Hermiod had to borrow some of the ship's resources and power output. The Asgard temporary disabled the ship's transport beam in order to achieve it."

"I see," Weir said as she looked at Sheppard through the glass covering of the stasis pod. When she saw the metal shackles on the sick man's wrists, she frowned. "Why is Colonel Sheppard in restraints?" she asked, her voice taking on a hard, accusing tone.

"I ordered it," Caldwell replied curtly, coming up behind her.

"Yeah, not to say that Sheppard's in any condition to put up a fight…" Rodney replied, clearly unimpressed by Caldwell's order.

The commander of the Daedalus' chose to ignore the scientist's comment. Weir however agreed with it. Anger flared inside her as Weir realised what this meant. "On what grounds?" The horror and disapproval in her voice was obvious to all.

Caldwell looked grim and not at all happy but when he spoke, there was an edge of steel in it. "Dr Weir, with Sheppard missing, you made me in charge of the military operations while we were in Atlantis. Now that we've got Sheppard back, and with him still incapacitated, I am only doing my duty on what I think is best for Atlantis."

"What? By placing him in _restraints?! _What were you thinking, Colonel?!" Weir rounded onto him. "Look at him, Colonel! John Sheppard is unconscious, possibly dying and Rodney's correct! He can be of _no_ danger to us or to Atlantis at the state he's in! I want the restraints removed when he gets to the infirmary."

A grim line appeared on Caldwell's lips. "I'm well aware of Sheppard's condition, ma'am," he stated rigidly. "However, I'll have to disagree with you on the possible danger that Sheppard may pose to Atlantis. He's been implanted with a Wraith mind device, of what nature we haven't determined, and while we've managed to extract that device from him, Sheppard might still be under the effects of its influence. And from what we know of the Wraith, we cannot run the risk of Sheppard being programmed to sabotage Atlantis or even feed information back to them about Earth. I'm sorry ma'am but I got in touch with SGC on this one and they agreed with my standing orders. Also, much as I hate to say it, the IOA too had specifically directed me to use all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all our people. Therefore, ma'am, until it can be proven that Sheppard isn't a liability or a danger to Atlantis, he's to be in restraints and be placed under guard."

Elizabeth fumed, as her eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that."

By now they had reached the transport lift. Weir was not happy at this new development and one look at Sheppard's team informed her that she was not alone in this.

---

Once out from the transport lift, the group made their way hurriedly to Atlantis' infirmary. They still had quite a way to go when the stasis pod suddenly gave a loud beep, informing those there that something was up.

"What is it? Why did it beep? Is Sheppard all right?" McKay asked anxiously. He clutched the cardboard box tightly to his chest as he pushed his way through the two medical personnel blocking his path to the pod. "Let me through, people!"

When he arrived, he saw Carson reading the display on the Asgard scanner that was attached on the top side of the stasis pod. The Scottish doctor's face currently displayed a look of puzzlement and growing excitement. "Oh my… I'll don't believe this…"

"Don't believe what, Dr Beckett?" Caldwell asked moving forward with Weir. Teyla and Ronon also pushed their way through and gathered protectively around the stasis pod.

There was another beep, followed quickly by the sound of the stasis pod powering off. Suddenly, the glass chamber covering the front of the stasis pod slid open with a loud hiss. Cold and frosty white vapour escaped in the air around and above Sheppard's unconscious and still form.

"Crap!" McKay cried anxiously, taking a jump back, startled. "Carson, what did you do? Is that meant to happen? Why did you deactivate the stasis pod so soon? Doesn't Sheppard still need it? I knew that we should have insisted that Hermiod followed us."

Beckett gaped at him, his blue eyes wide with shock. "According to what the scans are saying, it's telling us that Sheppard doesn't need it anymore."

"_What?_" McKay stared at him wide-eyed. "Say that again?" He must have misheard what the physician was telling him. _Shit! Did Sheppard just die? Was that why it had deactivated?_ No, he refused to accept that, not while they had made it back to Atlantis. Not while help was so close at hand!

Beckett shook his head, taking a glance at McKay and looking back at the readings. "Hermiod programmed the pod to release Sheppard only when it determines that the colonel doesn't need it any more, that is, when there's an indication that his life signs is improving."

"What? Improving?" McKay asked again, this was making him really confused and he was sure that he wasn't the only one there judging from the surprised looks on Caldwell, Weir, Teyla and Ronon. Did Carson say _improving_? However, weren't they told not so long ago how screwed Sheppard's condition was? How they needed the stasis pod to keep him alive?

"Aye," Beckett said, looking up excited now as hope shone on his face. "I don't bloody know what's going on with the colonel, but his life signs are taking a turn for the better. It's almost as if he's body is no longer suffering from withdrawal…" He checked again the scanner's reading and turned to look around at where they were. "Is there anything out of the ordinary here that might cause Sheppard's condition to improve?"

However, before any one could consider that question, Sheppard suddenly moved, released a groan and his eyelids fluttered open…

---

To be continued


	20. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 27**

He came to the world sluggishly. He felt cold, freezing cold and sick. His mind felt fuzzy with a pounding headache as if he was suffering from a long, drawn out fever. Opening his eyes, he saw someone bending over him, looking at him from an opening above. He seemed to be in some sort of containment chamber. _Where am I? Why am I so cold? _His teeth chattered, his breaths were coming out in white puffs of smoke. There was the smell of frost in the air…

"_John_…, John? Can you _hear_ me?" he heard a female voice call his name as a hand reached out to squeeze one of his cold clammy hands that was positioned on top of him. There was something freezing cold, almost burning, attached to his wrists; he wondered about them but felt too weak to turn his head to look or to lift his arms.

"You're going to be all right, do you hear me, John? You're home now and you'll going to be all right." He thought he recognised the voice. It took him a while to realise that it was Elizabeth speaking to him.

"H'me...? El'b'th?" he muttered weakly, surprised to find how weak his voice sounded. Yet, he was wary, uncertain whether to believe her. The memory of a dream arose suddenly, of him walking in a wheat field… of someone – a friend - waiting for him there…

"Yes, John, it's Elizabeth, you're save now, you're home," her voice seemed to smile. "We're going to help you, John."

It was quite difficult to concentrate on Weir's words from amidst the cold he felt and the pounding of his headache. At the same time, he tried to brush away the memory of the wheat field and focus on the words that were being spoken to him. He saw another figure approach him beside the blurred image of Elizabeth.

"Hey, buddy, just hang in there…" Again, it took a little while for his mind to register the identity of the person speaking. _Rodney?_ There was a moment of irrational fear at seeing Rodney, which he pushed down with a force of will. _No, this is the real deal, this is real! He's not a doppelganger! _The dream of the wheat-field came back again and he remembered Lf'wyne telling him that he was back with his people again. He blinked trying clear his blurred vision. He hoped to God that this was real.

"You really had us worred there, Sheppard, thinking that the Wraith might have made a main course out of you."

"_Rodney!_" Weir's shocked voice rebuked the scientist for his bluntness.

"_What?_ It's _true _isn't it?" McKay replied.

It certainly sounded like McKay. _Am I really home? _Hope and excitement stirred within him. He stared at the blurred form of Rodney. He recalled running into his team on the Wraith planet, fighting them, thinking that they were doppelgangers. He also recalled waking up somewhere else, of Carson being there, assuring him that he was onboard the Daedalus, that his team was the _real_…

"N't dre'm?" he asked sluggishly.

Another head came into his view; this time he recognised the pointed dark hair and the Scottish brogue instantly. "Aye, lad. We're real, it's not a dream. We're going to take care of you, lad. Just hang in there."

"You had us all pretty worried, you know. But it's good to have you back," Elizabeth said gently. Despite his blurred vision, he knew that she was smiling down at him.

Sheppard swallowed, pursing his lips, feeling an emotional lump form deep inside him. His body started to tremble and he felt ashamed that he had no control over it. He wasn't sure whether it was because of the cold or from unshed tears of relief. Suddenly, he no longer cared how screwed up he appeared. He was _home_, after all this time he was finally home; no more interrogations, no more experiments, no more false-evil teams whose only purpose was to hurt him and get him to betray his people. If there were no witnesses about, he might have broken down and sobbed there and then. The relief he felt was overwhelming. Instead he squeezed his eyes shut, halting the tears as he released a gasp filled with unexpressed emotion.

"Colonel, are you all right?" he heard Beckett ask him in concern.

"Of course, he's not all right! Look at him, he's a mess! Now stop asking him silly questions and fix him up!" The voice of McKay interjected above him.

A small smile creased his lips. In all his hallucinations, McKay's sarcastic wit was always off. This time, it sounded real enough to convince him that perhaps this time it was truly real.

He felt the edge of his vision darken and the roaring sound in his ears got louder. He was dizzy, the pounding in his head felt as if it was killing him; he knew that he was falling unconscious again despite the unnatural feeling of strength surging through his body. It felt too familiar… as if the strength attributed to a Wraith's presence… He frowned, trying to analyse it. _No, it can't be. _He told himself. _Atlantis doesn't have any Wraith here, it must be something else… Beckett… Carson must have found a way to help me…_

As if from far away, he heard another voice speak, a male's voice… _Caldwell_…

"Drs Weir, McKay, I must advise you to please move away from Sheppard… He might be dangerous…"

Sheppard frowned. What the voice said didn't make any sense. _I must be dreaming_…

"Caldwell, you're _kidding _right?" McKay stated above him in a tone dripping with disbelief. "Have you _seen_ him? Sheppard's too damn weak to harm a fly!"

"Be that as it may, I can't allow you to place yourselves in danger. We don't know what Sheppard's capable of. Now, _please_, don't make me repeat myself…"

"That's it! You're really _are _paranoid! His hands are restrained, Colonel, he's still in a stasis pod, he…"

McKay's voice was drowned out by a roaring sound in his ears. Sheppard started to feel more confused. He tried to move his hands but for some strange reason, couldn't seem to do much. Everything still felt too numb and cold…. None of this made any sense; it almost seemed as if he wasn't trusted, treated like a prisoner by his own people... Confusion rained down on him again. _No, it can't be true… My people … my team won't do that to me… They know me… They trust me… as I trust them… especially if they are real… God, I hope they are real… But none of this makes any sense. No hallucination can seem so real… A dream, I must be dreaming… It can be nothing else..._ He did not even realise that he had just refuted himself. The pain spikes in his head grew sharper. He groaned again, trying to shake his head, trying to brush them off. He felt gentle hands on his shoulders.

"Colonel Sheppard, what's wrong? Where does it hurt?" a Scottish voice asked.

He could not answer the voice as he was unable to keep his eyes open any longer, so he let the darkness claim him once again.

---

"He's fallen unconscious," Beckett stated worriedly. "Let's get him back to the infirmary before his condition deteriorates again. I don't like what the readings are showing me. His blood work is a mess. There are so many thing wrong with him that I can't even begin to guess what's been done to him."

As they began pushing the stasis pod hurriedly through the corridor, Weir made her way towards Caldwell, her features cold and angry. "What the _hell_ was all that about, Colonel?! John did _not _need to hear your doubts about him in his first awakening moments of consciousness! He needs to know that he's among friends, people who _care _about him! Not to feel as if he's a prisoner again!"

Caldwell seemed slightly taken aback by her outburst.

"I was only doing my duty ma'am. According to Dr Beckett, Sheppard's DNA has been drastically altered. If I recall correctly ma'am, the last time something like this occurred, he took down our men who were sent after him and even attacked you."

Weir's eyes narrowed. "Are you referring to the time when John was suffering the effects of the retrovirus?"

Caldwell nodded. "Yes ma'am. I was there, I heard the reports; the stunners that the guards used on him had no effect. He had amazing agility, strength and speed. He climbed up walls, for heaven's sake! If Ronon hadn't caught him then, he would have escaped and probably killed someone, and that was when he was under the influence of Beckett's retrovirus, an accident that was not meant to happen!"

At Caldwell's words, nobody noticed Carson stiffened with guilt as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. But he said nothing except to purse his lips tightly together and hurry faster to the infirmary.

"We are now in a whole new ballgame," Caldwell continued. "This is Wraith technology that we're talking about here. Regardless of how you see it or refuse to see it, Sheppard, in my book is dangerous and should be treated as such."

"That occurred almost a year ago, Colonel!" Weir argued back. "It's an entirely _different _matter! And the reason_ why_ he escaped was because _I_ gave him _no_ other option, no hope, no way out! Did you know that he wanted me to give the order to _kill _him, Colonel? The last time, when I visited John in his quarters, when I informed him that Carson and his team had failed in their mission to get what they needed to help him with the retrovirus. He had looked at me with desperation in his eyes; he understood what I was trying to say. He _understood _that we were just going to stand by and watch as he transformed and lost his mind turning into something that was no longer human. That we couldn't do anything else to stop what was happening to him. I told him that I was not sending anymore of our men out to get what was required, that it was too dangerous, despite him requesting me to do so. He offered to go _himself_, but it was something that I _also__ denied_ him. We were condemning him to a death sentence in a slow and painful manner where he would become a danger to himself and those around him and John knew it. He was left with no other option, so I ask you to answer me, Colonel, if you were in his place, what would you have done?"

To her relief, she saw that she got to him, that her words broke through Caldwell's hard exterior. The Daedalus' commander appeared stunned and shocked at hearing what she had to say. When he next spoke, he looked a little loss for words; the stubborn heat in his eyes had subsided slightly. He finally cleared his throat, muttering softly, "I did not know that, ma'am."

Elizabeth sighed. "Well, _that _is the man whom you are accusing of being compromised, Caldwell! I'm not saying that you wanting to protect Atlantis and our personnel is wrong, Colonel. In fact, I can see where you're coming from, and I agree with you in some aspect that we _should_ take some precautions until we can determine how to help John. But what I'm saying is that we should do it with _compassion _and _understanding_. Colonel John Sheppard deserves at least that much after what he's done for us and what he's been through."

Caldwell looked truly chastised now, his face turning a soft shade of red. He nodded looking at Sheppard's stasis pod. "I'll order that the restraints be removed, at least while he's still unconscious in the infirmary."

Weir pursed her lips and nodded. "Thank you, Colonel." It was a start. When John regained consciousness again and was a little more coherent, she hoped to be there to explain to him why he was to be placed in restraints. She hoped to God that he would understand. But at least for now, she had won this battle with Caldwell.

---

They had gone quite a distance, almost reaching the infirmary, when Beckett noticed a change in Sheppard's condition. "Wait!" he shouted out.

"What?" asked McKay anxiously. "What's wrong now?"

Beckett looked at the scanner's reading. "Quickly, move the stasis pod back to where we were before."

"What?! Are you nuts?!" McKay gasped. Teyla and Ronon glanced at each other, looking puzzled and concerned.

Beckett however ignored him as he pushed the stasis pod back with the help of his two medical personnel who didn't question his orders.

"What's going on here, Carson?" Weir asked, looking just as concerned and puzzled as the rest of Sheppard's team.

"I'm not certain yet, but I need to test something out…" Beckett replied, breathing a little harshly. "Please just bear with me here." There was determination in his voice. Weir nodded and allowed the doctor to push the stasis pod back down the corridor again.

After some time back-tracking, he called them to a halt. McKay by now had come to study the Asgard scanner readings that held Beckett's attention. "Okay, medicine is not my thing, but am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

Beckett looked up at him. "Aye," he replied, "Whatever we have over here, this section of the city appears to be helping Colonel Sheppard's condition to improve somewhat. When we move him further away from here, his condition starts to fluctuate slightly, certainly not to the extent when we were on board the Daedalus, but it is still there." He turned to everyone there. "So, what is here that's different from the infirmary or the Daedalus or from the rest of the Atlantis?"

Sheppard's team looked at each other.

"Could it be his ATA gene? His connection to the city, perhaps?" Weir asked.

McKay shook his head. "A good hypothesis, Elizabeth, but I don't think so. No, if it were, it wouldn't matter where he is. Any part of the City would be fine."

Telya however was frowning, looking disturbed by all of this. "It's the _Wraith_," she finally spoke up. "I can sense its presence strongest here."

"What?" McKay said. "Here, hold this, and don't drop it for goodness sake!" He pushed the box he held into Elizabeth's startled hands before ripping out the tablet PC that was velcroed behind his vest, swiftly switching it on. Weir looked like she was about to open the box when Rodney suddenly placed his hand on top of it.

"Sorry, Elizabeth, my mistake!" He turned to swiftly hand the tablet PC to a surprised Beckett to hold for a moment, before grabbing the box back and placing it into Ronon's hands. "Here, Conan, _you _hold it, you may as well be useful."

Weir looked surprised by it all but was not given a chance to say a word before McKay had the tablet back in his hands again, bringing up the schematics of Atlantis' layout.

"Hmm, let's see… Oh my, Teyla's correct! From where we are, I'll say we're relatively close to where the confinement cells are, though you might not know it from the round about way that you have to get there."

"So, what are you saying, Rodney? Are you saying that Colonel Sheppard's improvement is because we have a captured Wraith nearby?" Beckett asked, looking seriously disturbed by this piece of news.

McKay shot a look in Caldwell's direction. He knew how this was going to look to the Daedalus commander and he felt as if he was just about to stab Sheppard in the back. But he had no choice in the matter, especially when the evidence spoke for itself. "It's the only theory that we have at the moment."

"Then I say we test it out." Caldwell spoke up suddenly.

"What? How?" Beckett asked, looking wide eyed and not at all comfortable where this was heading.

Caldwell pursed his lips together. "If Sheppard needs the Wraith in order to survive, get some men to bring the Wraith captive down to the infirmary. I'll have a guard stationed by the Wraith to watch over him. If what you say is true, Dr McKay, then Sheppard's condition should improve."

---

To be continued


	21. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

Thank you so much for your reviews! They really are responsible for me typing like a nutter at my computer even though I know that I should be doing other stuff :D Sorry that the message bots aren't working at the moment, it's very frustrating. However, know that all your comments are read and appreciated.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 28**

They came for the Wraith sitting in his prison cell: two armed humans, clearly warriors by the weapons that they held firmly in their hands and by the uniforms they wore. He had sensed it immediately that something had changed among these humans; that something had happened for them to radiate a sense of excitement that wasn't there before. He suspected that they had found the one whom they were looking for: the one called Sheppard, their missing colonel. It was the reason why he had been captured in the first place; they had got the one call Teyla, the _Ksys'hr_ – she who was part Wraith, an abomination to his kind, to read his mind. He had tried to hide the information that they needed from her, but she had been persistent and stronger than he had anticipated, and had been able to obtain the lists of planets that held the Wraith experimental labs. Yet, he had made her pay for her insolence and had been able to access part of her mind in return when he drove his own consciousness into her. He would have succeeded in taking over her mind if the tall warrior with the blaster hadn't stunned her and him both in the process. When he woke again, they were gone and he did not see the one called Teyla again.

But now, something had changed. He sensed the presence of the one called Teyla back in Atlantis again. He knew that the one whom these humans were looking for were important to them. To hurt them, the Wraith knew that he would have to hurt him. It was the ultimate revenge. He knew that these humans also feared him as much as they hated him. Not surprising, after all his kind culled their kind; they were nothing to him but fodder, food to be fed upon, life essence for the Wraith. He hungered. It had been many days since he last fed. He loathed being a prisoner in the Lantean city of their ancient enemy. Rumour had it that this city had been destroyed but now he knew better. He now knew that his people had been tricked into believing it that it had been destroyed. He had read that in the _Ksys'hr's_ mind despite her attempts to block it from him. A new feeding ground … the thought of it made him want to drool in anticipation. Deep within him, he felt the hunger rage in him with need to feed.

Now he watched in keen interest as the two grim-faced human soldiers approached his cell. He wondered about their purpose as he was led out to march down various corridors to what appeared to be an infirmary. He was wary, careful, observant, watching every thing that these humans did while he was in their presence. He was memorising things, faces and places so that in the event of an escape, he would be able to provide valuable information back to his Hive. He longed to take revenge against those who had dared to capture him and defy his kind.

As he was led away in restraints, he was patient; he could wait for the right moment to strike back at his captors. He sensed immediately the _Ksys'hr's _presence. He saw them then: a small group of humans clustered together in what appeared to be a waiting room. When they saw him approach with the guards, they tensed up immediately at his presence. The hatred he sensed in them was palpable, especially from the tall warrior with dark long hair and blaster. But it was at Teyla whom he directed his gaze to. For a human, she was bold to stare him in the eye with a look of disgust in her features. He gave her a malicious leer back before he felt his shoulder blades being plodded painfully by the tip of the long projectile weapon that the two human guards behind him carried.

"Move, Wraith scum! Nothing for you to see here!" He obeyed; after all, there was nothing that he could do at the moment. He was also curious about why they had brought him here. Something was up and he wanted to find out what.

He was led past various cubicles, some with curtained off areas. There were voices ahead. As he passed it, through an opening at the side he spotted a lean, dark haired man lying unconscious on the bed with other humans attending to him. He slowed down, pausing, wondering why this one felt different from all the other humans. He saw a human doctor examining the man while speaking to one of his helpers. The doctor glanced up to freeze slightly when he saw him watching them. He gave the human a menacing smirk, promising death and destruction in his gaze. There was a curse and the doctor spoke to one of the nurses asking her to close the curtain of the cubicle blocking his view of the patient. He smiled, enjoying the fact that he had frightened the human physician when he felt another painful shove behind his back, this time the weapon whacking him painfully on the left shoulder.

"Move it! Don't let us have to tell you again!" came the order. That soldier was going to be dead for hitting him twice now. As he was led away, they passed a table with cluttered with medical items, obviously left there in a hurry. He pretended to stumble, his hand reaching out towards the table to catch himself. The guards cursed and one of the guards caught hold of him, yanking him violently back up.

"Get up! Just give me a reason to plough some bullets into your freakin' Wraith hide!"

He hissed back, glowering at the soldier and got a violent slug at the side of his face for his trouble. Then he was pushed onto an infirmary bed, his feeding hand hand-cuffed to the side of the bed and a gag placed tightly in his mouth. One guard was left to watch over him.

He festered in anger but told himself to bid his time. He wondered if these humans were going to experiment on him as the Wraith had done so on humans. He also wondered about the injured human who was in the cubicle next door. Hunger burned deeply within him. It had been many days since he had fed. He sensed that the one next door was Sheppard. If it was so, he would enjoy hurting that human, for it would complete his revenge. He hid his smile from the guard. In his hand, he held the items that he had managed to snag off from the table. He figured he now had a means of escape. It would take him some time to break through the restraints but it looked like the chances of him returning back to his Hive had just increased.

---

Beckett had just completed running another battery of tests on Sheppard and so far he wasn't at all happy with the results. Bringing the captive Wraith to the infirmary had made Carson uneasy, but so far, Caldwell's order to bring the Wraith there had worked out well, for Sheppard's condition had indeed improved if not his cold. Other than the various other things wrong with him, Sheppard now appeared to be suffering from a severe cold. He had seen the condition of the pilot's arrival on Daedalus, his clothes wet and mud caked; his skin cold and clammy, his body shivering. His time in the stasis pod didn't do his cold any good either. At the way things were going, he felt as if the colonel had the worst luck in the world.

But the first batch of results done in Atlantis had confirmed what they had all feared. Sheppard's DNA had been modified to the point that he was reliant on the Wraith's presence in order to survive. He had not been happy with the news and neither had Sheppard's team, Weir or Caldwell. He knew that his information made the Daedalus' commander more suspicious of Sheppard, but it couldn't be helped. Yet, even with Sheppard's condition improving to the point where he wasn't in danger of dying, there were still a lot of things wrong with the colonel that concerned Beckett greatly. He had run another batch of tests on the colonel and then another, hoping to find out a way to remove the second implant that was inserted close to Sheppard's heart. So far, he hadn't yet found a solution without killing the pilot in the process.

Yet with the latest batch of test results, the news had been grim. According to the results, if they couldn't find away to remove the device from Sheppard, the pilot would have only a few months to live. Basically, the second implant was still slowly killing him regardless whether they had a Wraith nearby or not. While the colonel might feel better and gain superficial strength in the Wraith's presence, at the end of the day, he was still dying. But _not _being in their close proximity would be a hell of a lot worse for the pilot and his condition would deteriorate dramatically in less than a day.

He did not relish telling Weir and the rest of the team the latest news, much less Colonel Sheppard himself when he fully awoke. It had been several days now since they got him back to Atlantis and so far, the colonel had slept most of the time. Beckett suspected that it was the result of his body trying to recover from the trauma of what it had been through and the flu that he was currently experiencing. Some of the treatments that he provided seemed to be help Sheppard slightly. Right now, sleep was best for the colonel for other than the cold and his screwed up DNA, his body also showed evidence of malnutrition and sleep deprivation. The only good news was that except for the Wraith mark on his chest, Sheppard didn't seem to have any physical injuries. As the colonel's body was in no state to handle any sedative or pain relief at present, Beckett was glad that the colonel slept on his own accord. There were moments however when he would jerk awake from obvious nightmares, drenched in sweat, but always one of Sheppard's team would be there to calm him down.

He knew that Sheppard's team had not left the colonel's side since his return. All too often one of his team would keep vigil over the colonel's side while he slept. There were brief moments when Sheppard would awake gently on his own, and those were the times that Beckett loved best. Each time a member of his team would there with him to ensure that he saw a friendly face. They always made sure to reassure him that he was safe, back home in Atlantis, no longer a prisoner of the Wraith. They had also made sure that the Wraith in the cubicle next door was always kept out of sight. Sheppard's mental state was fragile at best from everything that he had been through; they didn't really need to aggravate it by letting him know that they had one of the enemy nearby. He wondered how much Sheppard knew about what had been done to him, but so far in his brief moments of lucidity, the man had mainly remained silent, contend to listen to the words spoken to him before nodding and dropping off to sleep before they even completed their sentence.

Rodney would occasionally drop by to visit Sheppard, but he didn't manage to stay as often now, not since Hermiod had returned the partially damaged Wraith implant that they had removed from the pilot's head. The Asgard had been called away to other duties, and Beckett heard that Hermiod had made some progress in fixing it, but had not completed the process. McKay however had been ecstatic with its return, for it allowed him to focus on something besides worrying about Sheppard. It was obvious to all that Rodney was uncomfortable to be in the presence of sick people, but he had been forcing himself to make an exception because it was Sheppard. Yet, even when he was there, he often did not know what to say to the unconscious man, but paced about with nervous energy that made the rest of his team feel uncomfortable and restless. The worry and concern being felt by his team was palpable, but Beckett knew his friend well enough to know that his overactive imagination was not doing McKay any good.

So often now, McKay would be seen in his labs, working day and night trying to repair the Wraith implant in order to figure out its purpose in hopes of helping Sheppard. However, late at nights, Beckett would catch McKay, red eyed with exhaustion, visiting the infirmary, coming to make sure that Sheppard was all right and still in one piece. Normally, he would not allow anyone to visit his patients at such odd hours, but with Sheppard he decided to make an exception. He knew how protective his team was of their injured team leader and frankly who could blame them? Besides, he felt that Sheppard needed them there just as they needed him.

Beckett also knew that normally McKay would have made himself at home in one of the infirmary beds nearby, but as the astrophysicist was currently taking care of Snacks, which was kept hidden in his quarters, Rodney would always return there to feed it at night and to make sure that the little critter was all right. Carson had recently been there to check up on its progress. The broken wing was healing nicely. From the concussion, bruises, minor cuts and contusions on its little body, Beckett suspected that Snacks had been in some sort of fight on the planet. From the doodle that Sheppard made on its bandaged wing, Carson wondered whether it had been with a Wraith. Currently, like Sheppard, Snacks too was sleeping a lot but this was attributed from the medications it had received. All in all, it was a good thing, for Rodney had been too busy working in the labs to pay much attention to it and too exhausted to see what mischief it did to his room. Currently, he was keeping it hidden from Weir and Caldwell.

Beckett had wanted to inform Elizabeth about it, but McKay had begged him not too. Rodney said that he wasn't sure Weir would allow them to keep it, and he had promised that he would eventually tell her about it himself when both Snacks and Sheppard were better. Reluctantly, Beckett had agreed, even though he suspected that he would regret it later.

He was now on his way to Weir's office to report his findings on Sheppard's condition. Teyla and Ronon were with Sheppard, and McKay was busy as usual working in his lab with the Wraith device. He understood that Caldwell would also be in the meeting, which didn't make things any easier. But after what Weir said to the Daedalus' commander, Caldwell had been more understanding and compassionate towards Sheppard's plight. So far Caldwell hadn't insisted on placing the restraints back on Sheppard again, which was something that Beckett was glad about. He didn't think that such an action would help in Sheppard's recovery at all, in fact, he was certain that it would make it worse.

As he reached Weir's office, he saw Caldwell seated there waiting for him. Both of them had grim looks pasted on their faces and he wondered what was up.

"Carson, glad that you could join us," Elizabeth greeted him. "How's Sheppard?"

He told her about the latest test results and he saw that she was devastated by the news that Sheppard probably only had a few months to live.

"Are you sure?" she asked, green eyes glittering with suppressed emotion.

"Aye, lass, I wish I was wrong, but if I'm afraid I'm not."

She looked down then, and Beckett wondered whether she was going to break into tears, but she was stronger than that. With a nod and a swallow, she folded her hands together, pursed her lips together and looked up back at him. "I see. I'm afraid that I also have some bad news Carson that you're not going to like. I've just received been in contact with the SGC…."

Elizabeth knew him well, Beckett knew that he wouldn't like what he was about to hear and steeled himself for the news.

However, Caldwell interjected before Weir could continue when he directed a question at the physician. "When do you think Lt Colonel Sheppard will be able to receive visitors?"

Beckett's gaze narrowed. By 'visitors' he knew that Caldwell didn't mean Sheppard's team, who had been there with him constantly day and night. "Well, he seems to be improving and more lucid each time he awakes, but at an estimated guess, I'll say perhaps in a day or two, that is, if his condition continues at it is. What's this all about Elizabeth?" He directed his last question back at Weir.

The head of the Atlantis expedition did not look happy at all. "The IOA will be sending a representative to question Sheppard in two days." At his dark scowl, she quickly added. "I know, I don't like this better than you do, but my hands are tied on this. They want to question Sheppard and they are not willing to wait any longer."

"Have you told them that we barely had a chance to question him ourselves?" Beckett had to ask. "Sheppard does _not _need this, especially not now!"

Weir's eyes glistered with emotion. "Damn it, Carson! Don't you think I know that?! Yes, I told it to them, but frankly I don't think they care! Besides, they're giving me no option here! If I refuse to allow them access to Sheppard, they've threatened to replace me with someone else, so I ask you which is worse?"

"If it's any consideration doctor, I'm not happy about this either," Caldwell stated grimly.

Beckett's frown darkened. He didn't like this one bit! But Elizabeth was correct, better for Elizabeth be there to guard Sheppard's back than for a stranger to run Atlantis who didn't know Sheppard at all.

Suddenly his radio beeped, followed by an urgent voice speaking through it. What he heard made his eyes widen and his pulse beat rapidly in horror.

"Bloody hell! There's trouble in the infirmary!" he gasped out. "The Wraith managed to escape, killed the guard and knocked out Teyla! I think Ronon and one of the guards shot the Wraith while it was attacking Sheppard!"

---

To be continued

A few of you wondered why Sheppard couldn't be taken to the cell instead. However, Sheppard's condition was such that he needed to be in the infirmary for tests, medical equipment and treatment and what not. Hopefully that makes sense.


	22. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

An extra long chap for you.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 29**

He had been asleep when he was abruptly awakened by the sound of Teyla's yell. Opening his eyes, he caught sight of the Wraith throwing her like a rag doll across the room. The Athosian slammed into a wooden chair shattering it and laid still. At that sight, his mind suddenly exploded in a haze of pain and he once again saw the deaths of his team members being replayed in his mind over and over again like some sick movie on auto rewind. Suddenly he felt the Wraith upon him, its feeding hand slamming down viciously upon his chest, while its mind reached out towards him as it began to feed. Pain ignited in his chest but before it could truly feed on him, he saw the Wraith's eyes widen with a look of shock. A second later it released a howl of pain as bullets struck it from behind and a red energy field enveloped it at the same time. Something inside him snapped and he succumbed to a tidal wave of panic, confusion and fear. He _knew _that Atlantis had no Wraith, so therefore logic dictated that he _couldn't _be in Atlantis. In his mind, this reality could only be a trick; some devious, sick trick created by Daffy the Wraith for him to betray his own kind.

"_Noooooo!_" he screamed the words out hoarsely in defiance as he scrambled out of bed, ripping out wires and IV lines attached to him, almost tumbling onto the floor in his haste to escape his captors. Hands reached out for him, calling his name but by then he was caught in the world of horror and despair. Frightened and confused, compounded with pain and sickness, forced Sheppard to fight against those who were trying to calm him down. Fear and the need to escape made him strong, the surge of adrenalin lending him strength, allowing him to punch and escape from the outreaching hands, burly bodies and shouted voices that he no longer understood nor recognised.

One form stood out starkly out among the others - a tall man in dread locks. He was struck by a flashback of the Satedan hitting him, kicking him, asking him to betray his real friends, wanting to know the code to his home world. With his heart hammering painfully in his chest, he shrieked out, "No! No! You're _not _Ronon! _You're n-not Ronon! Stay t-the hell away from me!_"

His chest heaved in exertion and hurt, his vision blurred as if he had just run a ten mile race. He scrambled himself into a corner and huddled there, refusing to allow anyone near him, striking out at them if they came too close. The tall one hesitated, his hand reaching for his weapon…

"No! Don't stun him, Ronon! Just let him calm down on his own! He's weak enough as it is, a stun blast won't do him any good!" Someone's voice ordered.

He shook his head, wanting to be left alone, as he shut out the words that were now being spoken to him. "Nononononono…" he mumbled to himself. He closed his eyes and tried to not think of Teyla dead. Yet, in his mind's eye, he saw her limp body lying motionless on the infirmary floor. _She wasn't real! She __wasn't__ real! _He told himself, trying to convince himself of this fact. _This is a hallucination! I'm still back at the Wraith lab! But nothing else is friggin' real! _The solid and firm presence of the two walls at his back made him feel better, knowing that no one would be able up sneak up behind him without him knowing about it. He hugged his knees, while his other hand held out a long splintered wood from a broken chair that he had found somewhere on the infirmary floor. He waved it around like a club, not allowing anyone to get close to him. Fear, pain and uncertainty clutched at his heart; he felt nauseas, weak and confused all at the same time.

He was uncertain how much time had passed before he heard finally a voice speak to him again. He saw someone approach him slowly, a female this time.

"John, you're safe now, it's all right. Teyla's all right. Please, let us help you!" The voice that pleaded sounded a little familiar, like someone whom he knew in Atlantis – Elizabeth Weir, but he knew that she wasn't real; that she _couldn't _be real.

He continued to stare ahead in terror, panting heavily, barely seeing the one who stood before him. He felt a flow of perspiration drip down into his unfocused and tired eyes. He still held the splintered wood before him in self defence; it was his barrier to deter others from reaching him. He did not realise that his hand was gripping the splintered corners so tightly that it dug into his flesh, cutting skin, making it bleed with fresh drops of blood dripping to the floor.

"S-stay away! Just… l-leave me alone!"

It was a lie! A damn stinking lie! _A lie, a lie, a lie! _His team, Carson, Elizabeth, all their kind and considerate words had been nothing but another Wraith hallucination.

He released a shuddering breath and shook his head, glaring ahead at those whom he knew were doppelgangers; those who were pretending to be his friends. They had come for him again, the Wraith's mind illusions! They wanted to trick him into revealing the information that they wanted, but this time they were more devious about it, because this time it felt more real. They had lured him with kindness and tried to seduce him into believing that he was truly back in Atlantis again. And the worst part of it all was that he had fallen for it, that for days, he had _believed _that it was real. He shook his head and released a half hysterical laugh. It was either that or break down totally, but in front of the enemy he preferred laughter to tears.

A watery cough rose out from his congested chest as if to drown him with phlegm. He coughed, spitting some phlegm out, feeling sick, weak and nauseous. Everything spun dizzily and he could feel his own feverish body radiating out heat. He started to tremble as a churning sick sensation stirred at the pit of his stomach and he clutched tighter into a ball, rocking like a drug addict needing a shot. He felt as if he was losing his mind, that his fragile grip on reality had just been shattered. He didn't know what was real and what wasn't anymore. He had watched Teyla die, he had watched Ronon die and he had even watched Rodney die. He had allowed his team to die because he suspected that they weren't real, but what if they _were _real and he didn't know that they were? What if his team was already dead? Despair and confusion sunk in.

Closing his eyes tightly he began to shake his head violently, his head bowed down on his bended knees while his hand gripped the side of his muddled and aching head.

"_Nonononono…_" he repeated to the word over and over again. Would this nightmare never end? He didn't think he could go through this again. Rodney, Teyla, Ronon, even Elizabeth and Carson, they had all seemed so real. So _real_. He had believed that he had been rescued and taken back to Atlantis. Now to discover that it had all been a lie was the tide that broke the dam. He felt something break inside him, leaving him empty and hopeless, nothing more than a husk; a shell of a man whom he had once been. _A lie a lie a lie…_. The voice seemed to sing in his head; it almost seemed as if Daffy the Wraith was mocking him. He could still hear Daffy's laughter in his mind, echoing itself, bouncing inside his brain, over and over again.

He rocked harder; he couldn't take this any longer, he felt as if he was going insane. Even Snacks, his little winged companion was gone; he didn't know what had happened to it. Ever since he had woken up in the infirmary he hadn't seen it. He seemed to recall asking Carson to tell McKay to take care of it, but during his brief awakening moments when he had seen Rodney, the scientist hadn't mentioned Snacks to him. He felt betrayed and angry at himself for believing that his friends were really his friends. The hurt he felt inside him was indescribable. The Wraith knew where to hurt him and it had struck him where it hurt the most. It was all a lie. _A lie, a lie, a lie _… the voice seemed to mock him again.

"_Shut the hell up!!!_" he yelled back and heard a murmur of confusion around him. The Wraith and Wraith worshippers were obviously enjoying seeing him suffer. Anger rose deep within him. "Get out! _Get out! _Stop staring at me you freaks!" he shrieked to those doppelgangers watching him. He saw that his words had made some impact as a command was given out and some people left the room. However, a little later, someone else entered the room. It was a long, blond haired female. He was becoming tired of this.

"Colonel Sheppard, please, nobody's going to harm you. Please let us help you." This one spoke with a calm, rational voice, as if she was used to dealing with people such as him. Her hand reached out towards him but deep down, he knew that he never trusted her, that he could never open to her. He knew that in Atlantis, this one's name was called Kate…

He shook his head and tried to scramble backwards, even though there was no where else to go. He knew that he was becoming more agitated and irrational, but he no longer cared.

"You're _not_ real! All of you _aren't _real! Stay away!" he waved the wooden splinter in front of him. "Don't come any closer!" He found an empty styrofoam cup on the floor near him, he picked it up and threw it at Kate Heightmeyer's doppelganger. He saw the cup hit the woman's blond head with a bounce, startling her in the process and he laughed hysterically at her reaction. _You're a Wraith! A Wraith, a Wraith in disguise! _He sang the accusation in his head.

He wanted this all to end. His gaze narrowed as he eyed the splinter that was now stained with his blood and contemplated what he would do if they tried to take him a prisoner again. Was it sharp enough to slit his wrists? Could he be fast enough before they stopped him from ending it all? He didn't want to betray his people, he _wouldn't_ betray his people, yet, if he couldn't recognise friend from foe, he might accidentally give the enemy the information that they craved for thereby condemning Atlantis and all those whom he cared about to the enemy. _You are so thoroughly screwed, John! _

"Okay John, calm down. Nobody's going to hurt you. Just, don't do anything rash." He wondered whether doppelganger Heightmeyer could sense what he was contemplating.

He shook his head, feeling tired, worn down and confused. He rested his head on his knees again, his breath rattling as he coughed again, his chest and nose congested with phlegm. Heaviness weighted down his soul; he couldn't take this any longer, he never felt so lost and abandoned in his life. He had always been able to trust himself, his own mind, his team, those whom he could rely and count on. Now that too was gone. _Gone, gone, gone, gone_. He couldn't fall back on those whom he regarded as friends, as family, because they were not real; they were only illusions of his mind, and worst yet, they were there to harm him and get him to betray those who were his _real _friends.

He felt lost. _Lost._ Just like Snacks, he had even lost Snacks. Snacks, his one and only friend in the world full of Wraith and Wraith worshippers. And Lf'wyne, the nameless Wraith, an enemy who was a friend. A strange, noble and honourable Wraith, if there ever was one. Were they all a dream? Their escape and his journey back to Atlantis? Had he lost his mind and hadn't known about it? _You're damned. You're lost. You're nothing but Wraith fodder. There is no hope for you Sheppard. Your people have forgotten about you… abandoned you. No longer care about you. You belong to the Wraith… You belong to __me__… _Those were Daffy's words that he heard echoing inside his head again. They were the same words spoken to him by the hallucinations of his team when he was back in the lab. He shook his head saying, "Nonononono…" He started to rock again, wishing that this nightmare was over, wishing that he was dead.

---

McKay entered the infirmary in a hurry after receiving the urgent call from Beckett. He saw Sheppard huddled in the corner and frowned. Crap! What had that Wraith done to his friend? The Wraith had been secured in the infirmary bed; they had never expected it to be able to escape, much less attack the sick pilot. Currently, the Wraith was in surgery after being shot by the guard and Sheppard was a down right mess. If the Wraith survived, he heard that they intended to place it in an isolated ward close by which was more secure than a cubicle in the infirmary. For Sheppard's sake, everyone hoped that the Wraith would survive. The idiot sergeant who had shot the Wraith was currently being reprimanded by Major Lorne and Colonel Caldwell. Hopefully, he would learn the lesson that Ronon's stun blast would have been enough to stop it from attacking Sheppard. Sheppard needed the Wraith's presence to continue living, they couldn't afford for it to be killed.

McKay had been present when Carson had informed them of Sheppard's condition and his dependence on the Wraith, which literary sucked, big time. He knew how Sheppard must hate that, to know that he had to remain close to a Wraith in order to survive. At the news, Ronon had been furious; all could see how much effort it took for the Satedan to restrain himself not go after the Wraith who did this to Sheppard – not that they knew of course which Wraith had done this to him. Teyla too had been upset and devastated by the news. As for McKay, he had just gone back to his lab, sat down and stared blankly at the computer screen until his mind finally came to grips about what had happened to Sheppard. Then he had cursed, ranted and growled at all his underlings who came near him that everybody started to avoid him like the plague, even Zelenka.

He had been in his lab when he received the call about Sheppard. Beckett thought that he might be able to help, but McKay seriously wondered whether he was the right person for the job.

With his heart beating loudly in his chest, he now looked at those still in the room. Weir, Dex, Beckett and Heightmeyer were gathered there, looking anxious and worried. He suspected that Carson had chased everyone else out of the infirmary.

Seeing Ronon however made him furious. "I thought you were watching Sheppard? What the hell were you doing when Sheppard and Teyla were attacked by that damn Wraith?!"

To McKay's surprise, Ronon stood uncharacteristically still, his head bowed, his hands balled tightly into fists at his side as he allowed McKay rant at him. By his action, he knew that the Satedan felt guilty about what had happened, but at the moment, he was too angry to care.

"Easy there, Rodney," Weir quickly stepped in between the two of them. "It's not Ronon's fault, and this is no time for passing the blame! Ronon had stepped out to go to the bathroom when the Wraith escaped."

"Oh, what a convenient time for Conan to do a potty stop!" McKay raged. Dex gave an angry growl at Rodney's words but forced himself to stand still, which again was uncharacteristic of the big guy.

"The Wraith must have planned it, waiting for the moment for Ronon to leave before it sprung its attack. Elizabeth's right, now is not the time for this, especially not when Colonel Sheppard needs our help."

Rodney tried to take a deep breath, nodding, trying to calm himself down, to stop himself from hyperventilating. Beckett was right, he realised now. Really, couldn't blame the big guy for answering the call of nature. Could have easily been him. He suddenly felt sick and furious at himself for his callous words. Inwardly, he knew that Ronon wasn't to blame, but he was angry, scared and furious over everything that had happened. He would apologise to the big guy later. Right now Sheppard needed his help and he also worried about Teyla.

"How's Teyla and Sheppard?" he asked finally asked in a softer, calmer tone.

"Teyla's going to be all right, Rodney," Beckett replied. "She sustained a broken arm and she was knocked unconscious during the attack but fortunately there's no concussion. However, that's not to say that she wouldn't wake up with a bloody headache. I currently have some medical staff keeping an eye on her, but she should be fine. Actually, Ronon, why don't you go and visit Teyla, I'm sure she could do with a friendly face when she wakes up."

The Satedan nodded and quickly left the area for Teyla's cubicle. Beckett turned back to McKay, his features now grim. "Actually, it's Colonel Sheppard that I'm worried about."

"He seems to be suffering from _gross stress reaction _probably the result of PTSD," Dr Kate Heightmeyer added. "I mean we've barely touched the surface of what Colonel Sheppard's been through, but to be woken up and attacked by a Wraith must have surely instigated it. What worries me now is that he seems to be retreating into himself, shutting everything and everyone out. I don't like it; the quieter he gets, the more he's isolating himself and blocking the rest of us from reaching him."

"He's not answering to any of us, so we thought you might have some luck, Rodney," Weir added.

McKay nodded uncomfortably while eyeing Sheppard's pathetic form. It took Rodney some time to realise that the fragile form huddled in the corner was saying the words, 'Nonononono…" over and over again.

Sheppard looked really bad and truly messed up and it was freaking McKay out. This was _way _out of his league; he didn't know where to begin to help Sheppard out – after all he was an astrophysicist not a bloody physiatrist. Rodney wondered what, if anything, he could possibly to do aid his friend. But Beckett informed him that when other people tried to approach him, just after the attack, Sheppard started screaming, fighting back, using hands, fists and feet, kicking and clawing like a wild animal, allowing no one to get to him. With Sheppard's already fragile mental state of mind and messed up blood-work, Carson was reluctant to administer any other drugs or sedatives to the sick colonel, saying that it could cause John more harm than good. He thought that maybe McKay might be able to get through to Sheppard where all the rest failed.

"You're his friend, Rodney. Maybe you might be able to get him to trust us," Carson stated. "I've tried, and so have the others, including Kate Heightmeyer, but so far, none of us seemed to be able to get through to him. I'm afraid if we don't do something soon, he might cause himself some irreparable harm. Go to him, Rodney, see whether you can talk to him."

"What, me?!" McKay asked, not quite sure he had heard the words right. "Are you kidding me?! I'm no psychologist! What _should _I say? Perhaps Heightmeyer…?" He wasn't really shirking his duties, but McKay knew when he was way out of his depth and seeing the condition that Sheppard was in, he _knew _what he was not the best person for the task. Sheppard was hurting badly, broken in the mind as well as in body. He knew that Sheppard needed help but he wasn't sure what to do. It had been the same when Sheppard had the iratus bug stuck to his neck or when he was dying as the result of the retrovirus. McKay knew that he couldn't help ease Sheppard's pain; that he would only be in the way, so he had let others attend to Sheppard. In the puddle jumper he had concentrated his focus on what he knew best, that is, finding a scientific solution to their jumper problem. The second time they almost lost Sheppard to the retrovirus had been worse, because then, he had been helpless and hadn't been able to contribute at all. That had been a nightmare for McKay but what was happening now also sucked big time. It was driving McKay up the wall with the fear that this time they might not be able to help the colonel get through this. That this time, they might really lose Sheppard.

If Sheppard was merely sick, injured or recuperating, that he knew that he would have been able to handle it better for there was always hope of a recovery. But this time it was different, this time, Sheppard was broken and McKay didn't know how to fix him. Talking, opening up, having heart to heart conversations really wasn't his thing. He knew that it wasn't Sheppard's either. It was one reason why he got along so well with Sheppard; they respected each other's privacy when it mattered.

Sure he wanted to help his friend. In fact, he desperately _wished _he could. But the last thing he wanted to do was to make things worse. And Dr Rodney McKay knew his limitations, medical science and psychology just wasn't his field of expertise. He could repair just about anything that followed the rules of physics, but when it came to people, it just wasn't he forte. And he knew, deep down, that because it was_ Sheppard_ in particular, he was afraid of screwing up.

Carson however seemed to understand without Rodney having to speak the words for he suddenly smiled sadly. "I don't think you can do more harm than that Wraith has already done, Rodney. Just be yourself. Perhaps some normality is what Sheppard needs to get through to him. At present, he doesn't trust us. He's refusing to allow anyone near him. He seems to think that we're the enemy. That bloody Wraith prisoner must have done something to him to make him believe that."

Rodney was still doubtful as to _how _he could possibly help Sheppard. This was waaaay out of his league; and he just did _not _do sick people; in fact, most of the time; he usually avoided them like the plague.

Finally Beckett sighed and said, "Look, just give it a shot, Rodney. After all, what's the worst that can happen? If you can't reach him, then I'll be forced to get my people to take him by force and place him in restraints – which is something I really _don't _want to do at this stage. I don't know what it'll do to his already fragile mental state. Kate tells me that if I do that now, he might retreat deeper into himself, which is the last thing that he needs. He's going to think us the enemy again. He's had enough nightmares to deal with and we don't want to add to them. While his body doesn't have any physical injuries, I suspect that there are scars in his mind that'll take a long time to heal. Also, as his body reacted adversely to the sedative we tried to administer to him on the Daedalus; it's also the last thing I want to try right now. So until we can find a way to get that damn Wraith device out of him, it's up to us to try to try to help him, and seeing that you're his friend… at least give it a shot, Rodney. What ever those Wraith buggers did to him, it has really messed him up and Sheppard really needs our help right now."

McKay knew then that he could not let Sheppard down. Not now, not especially when the pilot needed him and when it mattered the most. So he nodded. He would give it his best shot. After all, being himself he could do. Normalcy, he could do. Taking a deep breath, he approached the huddled form carefully, making sure not to startle him.

"Sheppard?" he called his friend's name tentatively.

To his surprise, Sheppard didn't turn his head towards him, instead he curled himself into a tighter ball, trying to make himself as tiny as possible as he slowly began to rock himself, mumbling something over and over again. The sight disturbed McKay. He had never seen this side of Sheppard before, the vulnerable, lost Sheppard, the Sheppard who needed protecting instead of being the protector. He turned back hesitantly to look at Beckett and the others for guidance. They nodded encouragingly at him whispering, "Go on, Rodney."

He swallowed nervously and continued slowly forward, taking slow, gentle steps as if he was approaching an injured, wild animal. Abruptly, Sheppard lifted his head startling him as a set of confused and frightened hazel-green eyes locked into his.

"S-stay away!" Sheppard ordered, the half broken piece of chair that he was holding came up again, but McKay could see that Sheppard's hand was now shaking badly. He also noticed blood dripping from the fist that held the long wooden splinter.

"Oh god… Sheppard," he whispered the words softly in aghast and sympathy. He lifted both hands upward to show the pilot that he was unarmed. "I'm not going to hurt you, Sheppard. It's me…, Rodney."

Sheppard continued to stare at him with a wild eyed look then his gaze went back to the others in the room. The pilot blinked and chanted the words, "Go away, go a-away… Leave me a-alone…" McKay instinctively knew that Sheppard didn't like people watching him, which was something that he understood himself. The scientist gulped down again and hoped that he was doing the right thing. He turned back and his hand stretched out to close the curtain blinds, blocking Carson and the others' view of the sick man, huddled pathetically in the corner, allowing Sheppard some shred of dignity and privacy.

"Rodney! What do you think you're doing?" Beckett asked, the physician's voice sounding a little high pitched with worry.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," he hissed back in annoyance before pausing to add less confidently, "… I think." Sheppard didn't need others to witness the state that he was in. Perhaps, if he saw only one person, perhaps, he won't be so agitated.

"Just be careful Rodney," Beckett said over the other side of the blinds. "If you need help, just yell out."

McKay nodded, even though he knew that those on the other side of the blinds wouldn't be able to see him now. With the curtain closed, Sheppard shut his eyes and turned his head away mumbling "Stay away… d-don't want to h-hurt you…" under his breath as he leaned his forehead down on his knees again. The pilot looked sick, exhausted, confused and tired. The good news was, it didn't look like Sheppard was about to attack him with that damn stick anytime soon. Taking that as a positive sign, McKay took a step closer to the huddled form.

_Please, please, please, make me be able to get through to Sheppard. _

He thought that Sheppard looked cold; he saw the pilot's body trembling with shivers. Scanning the cubicle, he spotted what he needed. His hand stretched out and he grabbed the warm blanket off an empty bed and approached Sheppard closer now. Sheppard didn't appear to notice him now, seemingly lost in his own world. If nothing else, at least, he would make sure that Sheppard didn't freeze his damn butt off sitting on the cold infirmary floor…

---

"Hey… Sheppard?" the voice sounded sort of familiar but also stubbornly insistent. John felt something warm, probably a blanket, being placed across his shoulders then a hesitant hand gripped his left shoulder in a supportive manner. Despite it, he flinched at the touch, trying to move away from it. "What's up with you? Why are you huddling on the floor like that?" There was familiar impatience in the voice, yet it was also tinged with nervous agitation.

He blinked, still rocking in silence, still muttering the words softly, "Nononono…"

"No what?" asked the voice; there was curiosity in the tone now. "No Wraith? No Atlantis? No… you're _not_ freezing your ass off sitting on the cold floor with nothing on but infirmary scrubs?"

The last sentence brought a shadow of a smile on his face. The speaker reminded him of a friend he once knew. Sheppard finally lifted his head up and blinked, forcing some focus into his eyes. His brain was hurting, his chest was congested but the face looked familiar. A face of a friend… It took him a few seconds for him to recognise McKay. Yet the sight of the scientist brought on memories of another McKay, a doppelganger Rodney, who would either hurt him or died horribly in front of him. In either case, they both caused him pain. _No, it's a lie! He's here to hurt you! _His heart started to pound rapidly and painfully in his chest again. Perspiration broke out from his skin and he tried to scramble backwards, tried to escape from the awful illusion that somehow seemed to have gotten past his defences. But there was no where else to go, no where else to retreat, no where else to hide.

"Y-You're a … t-trick! You're n-not real! _You're n-not R-Rodney!_" His hand tried to bring up the splintered wood again, but he felt scientist's hand firmly grip his wrist, preventing him from stabbing the stick into him. How had the scientist managed to come so close? he wondered. He knew that he had been tired, exhausted, that he hadn't been as vigilant as he should have been.

"What are you talking about, Sheppard?" A gigantic scowl appeared on doppelganger McKay's face. "And for god's sake stop _fighting _me!"

He felt the long piece of wooden splinter being gently removed from his trembling hand.

"What's this, a piece of broken chair?! Oh god, Sheppard, your hand is bleeding all over the place!"

A handkerchief or a piece of cloth was being wrapped around the palm of his hand. There was a sharp throbbing pain from the said limb but he barely paid any attention to it. His mind felt as if it was now in a fog and he didn't really understand what was going on. The familiar voice was still talking to him.

"Of course I'm real!_ Are you nuts?!_"

"N-nuts… yes, nuts." This time he agreed with the speaker. That made sense, he had lost his marbles; he had truly lost his mind. He wished to be left alone. If he were mad, he would not be able to betray his friends, the Wraith would not be able to harm him for he would no longer care.

There was a pregnant pause as if the speaker suddenly realised what he had just said.

"Oh… god, I'm sorry, Sheppard, I didn't mean that. You're _not _nuts… just a little screwed up and confused, that's all… But you'll going to get through this, you hear me? You're going to be all right. It's not your fault, buddy. Whatever those damn Wraiths did to you, Sheppard, it's really screwing with your mind."

Sheppard frowned. This was new. Usually the doppelgangers never mentioned the prospect of the Wraith messing with his mind. It certainly sounded more like the _real _Rodney… He tried now to focus more on what the scientist was saying, waiting for the doppelganger to make the fatal mistake of calling him _John _instead of Sheppard. If that happened, then he promised himself that he would kill the doppelganger himself, break the man's neck with his bare hands if he had to. There was only so much he could take from these friggin' hallucinations.

A hand patted his shoulder rather uneasily. Clumsy and uncomfortable just as the real Rodney would be if he had been trying to console him.

"You'll be okay Sheppard. We'll not let the Wraith harm you again." There was another long pause as if the scientist was thinking about what to say. Sheppard was content to sit there doing and saying nothing at all. There was a sigh. "Crap, I'm really bad at this…. Look Sheppard, you're _not _nuts but _Carson Beckett _certainly _is. _What was Beckett _thinking, _saying that I can get through to you?! I tell you, Sheppard, that man sometimes really needs an upgrade on his Voodoo science! I mean, I might be a genius here, by what do I know about medicinal science, huh? After all, I usually tend to pass out at the sight of too much blood, and … oh, god… your hand is bleeding again, didn't I tell you that I _didn't _like blood? Would you mind _stop _bleeding all over the place like that? Sheppard, here, let me tie the bindings tighter. Hold it into a fist, yes, that's a good boy… No, no, you're _not _a boy of course but a man, well not just any man, but an Airforce pilot, a Lt Colonel whose lucky enough to have an Ancient gene that I would _kill_ for… well, _not_ literally kill, but you know what I mean…."

The man before him certainly seemed to _ramble _like McKay, which was another thing that the doppelganger McKay really didn't do. Usually, all the hallucinations wanted information from him, for him to _do _something or _reveal _something. So far, McKay didn't seem to want any information out from him. He certainly sounded real enough, almost like the real thing… Could it be really McKay? Could everything that had happened so far be _real? _But then what about the Wraith that had attacked him? And oh god… what about Teyla?

"R-Rodney?" he forced the name out, rubbing his eyes as he struggled to focus on McKay. He still did not trust the man as being real, but he decided to at least acknowledge his presence to see how he would react.

---

Fear melted away and relief washed through McKay like a tidal wave, he swallowed the lump that formed at the back of his throat. The fact that Sheppard had recognised him demonstrated that there was some part of his friend still in there in that messed up mind of his. At least he wasn't a total vegetable, which meant that there was hope. He wanted to yell at the damn pilot, tell him to snap out of it and for Sheppard to be well again. But he knew that this time, his tactics wouldn't work. Sheppard was broken and yelling at him won't help at all.

"Yeah, Sheppard, it's me, Rodney. You're… gonna be okay," Rodney stated gruffly. It was enough that they were there for each other, that they trusted one another. No words were necessary to seal that friendship. After all, actions spoke louder than words: they had saved each other's lives on so many occasions that McKay had lost count on the tally now. But he knew that this time, it was his turn to save Sheppard, to try to bring him back to himself. In a way, he was well aware that they were partially to blame for Sheppard's condition. After all, John Sheppard was screwed because he had placed himself in danger for the sake of his team. His actions had got them safely home, but not Sheppard himself. He had been caught by the Wraith and his luck had run out.

"T-Teyla?"

"Teyla's going to be all right," he quickly said. "Sheppard, do you hear me? She's going to be all right…"

Sheppard nodded by didn't say anything else. Suddenly feeling self conscious, Rodney removed his hand from Sheppard's rigid shoulder. He was never really good at this touchy-freely stuff. He was better at yelling at people than comforting them, it was one reason why he became a scientist in the first place not a friggin' psychologist.

Sheppard's next reaction startled him when the colonel suddenly groaned as if he was in pain, while grabbed his head with his fists. "Nononono!" he started to mumble again. To his horror, he saw that Sheppard's rare moment of lucidity leaving him; he saw fear and confusion cloud over the frightened hazel-green eyes.

"No!" the sick man before him suddenly whimpered, pulling back and clutching to the side of the wall, unaware that he was back in Atlantis again, unaware that he was no longer a prisoner of the Wraith, and unaware that Rodney was couching beside him, wanting to help and feeling damn helpless about it. The hazel-green eyes scanned the room frantically searching for god-alone knows what. He knew then that Sheppard must be experiencing a residue of an undesirable phantom effect that Hermiod had mentioned about when they had removed the Wraith implant from the colonel's mind.

"Sheppard!" he cried out, "You'll safe now, back in Atlantis! We're not going to let the Wraith hurt you again. What you're seeing in your head _isn't_ real!"

McKay immediately felt the full blown return of tension in the air and his heart skipped a beat that he didn't know how to help Sheppard. He felt powerless, useless; not a feeling that he was familiar with. "Oh god… Sheppard, what did those bastards do to you?" he whispered the words softly to himself. He had never felt so helpless and frustrated and it scared the hell out of him.

Sheppard didn't appear to have heard him, instead the pilot started to rock himself again, his arms curled tightly around his bended knees. His gaze narrowed and focused on something that only he could see. Occasionally he would shake his head as if to say 'no'. Rivulets of perspiration beaded down his heated forehead, making thin trails of sweat snake down the the sides of colonel's face and neck. McKay looked at his friend with uncertainty, hoping desperately that whatever Sheppard was experiencing that it would soon pass. Unfortunately, he didn't get his wish, as Sheppard's eyes widened and he seemed to flinch back as if he saw something that he didn't wish to see. Then Sheppard abruptly clutched his head tighter, moaning in pain before screaming out violently with despair in his voice, "No! No! No! NO!!! _Please_… d-don't _kill _them! P-please don't kill them! … Oh g-god, oh god, oh god…. I'm s-sorry… so s-sorry! S-so sorry!"

"Rodney! What's going on in there?! Are you all right?" he heard Beckett yell over the other side of the curtain.

"Yes! Yes! I'm fine!" McKay yelled back. "Just stay where you are, we're both fine! I'll call you if I need your help!" He hoped that he was correct; he hoped that Sheppard won't do anything drastic.

He turned back to Sheppard and spoke more urgently, trying to sound calm in the midst of his wildly beating heart and utter confusion. "Kill who? Sheppard, what the hell are you talking about? It's _not real_, Sheppard! _Whatever, you're experiencing isn't real!_"

To his horror, Sheppard suddenly began slamming the back of his head on the wall behind him as if it was the only thing that could chase his nightmares away. _Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!_ Maybe he was wrong after all… Sheppard was soooo _not _all right! Should he call for Carson's help? But then, Sheppard would think that they were the enemy again! A little while ago, he was sure he was making such good head way with Sheppard. Caught in a dilemma, he felt indecisive - unsure what was the best course of action to help out his friend.

"Don't!" Sheppard yelled out. "_Please… stop … h-hurting them!_" Bang! Bang! BANG! His head pounded harder and harder against the wall. With each violent knock, Rodney froze in horror, afraid that the back of Sheppard's head was going to crack open and spill his brains out at any instance.

"Don't!" McKay finally unfroze from his panic. "_Stop! Sheppard! Please stop!_"

But Sheppard didn't appear to hear him as he swung his head back again to hit his head another time on the wall. Panicking more than a little now, Rodney found himself moving like lightning, coming out from his frozen stance to place his hand at the back of the wall, so that the back of Sheppard's head thudded harmlessly against the soft side of his palm instead. However, having a hard skull whack violently against his hand and the wall hurt like hell making McKay grimace in agony. He bit down his gasp of pain, telling himself that the hurt in his hand was way better than having Sheppard knock himself out with a crack to the head.

"Hey, hey! Sheppard! Stop! _Cut it out!_" he cried, feeling close to panic now. Sheppard's hands and fists were reaching out, trying to fight him in delirium. But the colonel was weak from sickness, from tortured pain, from sitting down too long rigidly on a cold infirmary floor that he didn't seem to have much coordination left in his limbs. McKay, to his surprise, easily grabbed them, and without thinking about what he was doing, found himself trying to comfort Sheppard by pulling him into a hug, enfolding his sick friend in a tight embrace in order to stop the pilot from harming himself further. The pilot fought him, turning even more frantic, shouting for him to let him go. Yet, McKay held on tight for he was afraid to feel Sheppard, would make things worst.

"It's okay, Sheppard! _It's okay!_ Nobody's gonna hurt you or … _them_," he shouted back, hoping to get through to his friend, wondering who 'they' were. He felt the colonel's go rigid in his bear hug before the pilot broke down and began to shake like a leaf in his arms. To his dismay, he realised that the pilot was now sobbing, his entire body trembling as tears of pain and frustration wracked his wiry frame.

"Oh God, Sheppard. I'm so sorry," he mumbled softly to the man sobbing bitterly in his arms. Sheppard _never _cried; Sheppard was always in control. He did not know what to do to help Sheppard, his friend was so messed up, and he felt his own heart breaking as a result of it. "I'm sorry that we couldn't get to you sooner, Sheppard. Sorry for everything that's been done to you! But you're going to get through this. You're gonna be fine," he spluttered the words out in a ramble. He didn't really know what he was saying; he only wished to bring Sheppard some solace, to ease the hurt, pain and confusion that his friend was in. He knew that he was babbling, but he didn't really care anymore. To his surprise, Sheppard seemed to calm down slightly.

"You're safe, Sheppard. You're going to the all right," he muttered again. There was a lump under his own throat. He hated seeing Sheppard like this. This was not like Sheppard at all. Sheppard was stoic, strong – always in control, someone who never lost it. He wanted Sheppard right again.

After some time, Sheppard calmed down. Perhaps McKay's soft rambling helped, he wasn't sure and personally he really didn't care, as long as Sheppard didn't try to hurt himself again. Slowly, Rodney released his grip on the other man. He could feel the knuckles and fingers of his hand that had been a buffer between Sheppard's head and the wall being sore for a while, but it was better that than Sheppard knocking himself unconscious.

The pilot was mumbling something soft to himself. McKay leaned in closer to try to grasp what the pilot was saying. He finally managed to catch the word "Snacks".

"_Snacks?_" he repeated the name, sounding surprised. Only now did he recall the little ferret-like winged creature that was currently recuperating in his quarters and probably making a mess out of it.

"You want Snacks?" he asked, for the first time feeling hope flaring, feeling that they were finally making progress again. Sheppard nodded his head, giving out a soft breathless hiccup.

"Snacks…" the pilot whispered the name again.

"I can get you Snacks!" McKay said a little excitedly now as he tried to scrabble to his feet. He saw that his sudden movement startled the colonel, making him cringe to his corner again. "Sorry… sorry!" he stammered. "You'll be fine, you're safe now, back in Atlantis, remember? I'm just going to get Snacks for you, do you understand? Just stay where you are and don't move!"

Sheppard didn't seem to hear him, but then McKay doubted that Sheppard would move from his corner anyway. "I'll be right back," he promised before hurrying away.

---

To be continued


	23. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance**  
by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 30**

"He wants what?" Weir asked, looking totally puzzled and confused.

"Snacks!" McKay said as he folded his arms together and jutted out his lower jaw. "Look, I don't have time to explain it all to you, but when we rescued Sheppard, we also discovered a little stowaway that the colonel brought along with him. It's a little creature that had injured its wing somehow and Sheppard was obviously nursing it back to health."

"Oh you should see it, Elizabeth. It's the cutest little critter you have ever seen," Beckett interjected with a smile.

"Yes, yes, but getting back to my point, Sheppard asked me to take care of it. Well, actually he asked Beckett to ask me to take care of it. So, well, that's what I've been doing. And now he's asking for it. Snacks, that's its name."

Weir folded her arms together, clearly not impressed that she was kept in the dark. "I see and why wasn't I informed of it?" She arched an eyebrow.

McKay looked a little guilty. "My fault," he finally admitted. "I was afraid you won't let us keep it. But while Sheppard's calmed down a bit, do I have permission now to go and get it?"

Heightmeyer looked at Weir. "Actually, this might be what Sheppard needs," she said as she considered the matter. "Studies have shown that animals can be a good therapeutic instrument in helping those deal with trauma or stress. Whatever this Snacks is, I would recommend that for the moment, Colonel Sheppard be allowed to keep it, Dr Weir. The fact that he's showing an interest in something again is actually a good sign."

Weir nodded. "Very well," she agreed, as she turned to look at the crack in between the half closed curtain of the cubicle. She could see Sheppard still sitting half curled up in his corner. He now had a blanket covering his lean frame. "Rodney, you're allowed to keep Snacks as long as it can be confirmed that the creature isn't carrying any alien disease that might endanger our personnel."

"Oh, I've already run such tests over Snacks when I was treating it, Elizabeth. I can assure you that the wee creature is no danger to Atlantis or our people." Beckett informed her hurriedly. "Think of it as a wee cat or dog with wings."

"Actually, more likely a ferret with wings," McKay corrected the doctor as he hurried away to his quarters.

Weir nodded before her earpiece beeped with a message. She listened to it then looked up towards Beckett. "I'm afraid that I have to get back to my duties Doctor, but keep me appraised of the situation."

---

"_Sheppard?_" he heard a familiar voice call his name, startling him out from his fog-like daze.

"Whoa! Easy there, Sheppard. I'm not going to hurt you, it's Rodney, remember?"

He opened his eyes and looked up but before his eyes could adjust, he felt something warm, furry and soft about the size of a cat being placed on his lap.

"I've got Snacks for you."

There was a happy yelp and several chirps, and he felt tiny paws of a ferret-like critter scramble up his body towards his arm, climbing a little unsteadily onto his shoulders to curl itself at the back of his neck. Sheppard blinked; the fog in his mind parted slightly as he recognised the warm familiarity of a fair-weathered friend.

"S-Snacks?" he whispered the name softly. Could it really be Snacks? Was his escape not a hallucination after all? Was he really back in Atlantis? There was a recognizable happy chirp in response to his query, sounding close by his ear. He felt the familiar thumps of a cat-like tail swinging and wagging from side to side at his upper back. He lifted a shaky hand to pat it. Snacks certainly felt _real _enough. Snacks leaned back against his cold and stiff fingers. Pretty soon, it began rubbing its head against the side of his hair and temple, making soft cooing sounds. The corners of his lips twitched slightly in response and he felt the soft glow of hope blossoming deep within him spreading its gentle warmth throughout his being. He felt calmer, not so lost anymore. Perhaps, all that McKay told him about him being back in Atlantis had been correct.

"Yes, Sheppard. It's Snacks, the little critter you asked me to take care of. As you can see he's safe, just like you Sheppard. You're home now, you're safe," he heard the familiar voice say – the voice of a dead friend. The thing is, this time, the man wasn't dead. This time, the man was right there beside him, very much alive, offering comfort and support.

"S-safe?" he repeated the words dully.

"Yes, Sheppard," McKay smiled. "Safe."

The words came like a soothing balm to his soul. He recalled what that voice had said: _Safe_… _Home_… Words he thought that he would never hear again. The fear and confusion receded a little further now. He enjoyed feeling Snacks' presence snuggled on his shoulders. The warm ferret body that curled behind his neck was comforting to his shattered nerves. It made him feel less alone and abandoned. McKay's words meant that his team had not abandoned him either, nor had they forgotten about him. It also meant that Daffy was _wrong_. They came back for him; they did not leave him behind. _My team came back for me... _No longer did he feel so empty, lost, alone and abandoned. In spite of everything, they came back from him…. He did not yet dare to believe it fully but if he was truly home, if this was _real_…

"It's real Sheppard," McKay stated softly as if he could read what he saw in Sheppard's eyes. "Believe me Sheppard, this is real."

The pilot nodded as he closed his eyes tightly, trying hard not to let McKay see what he was currently feeling at the moment. He realised that he should have never doubted his team, never thought that they had abandoned him; left him behind to rot and die alone in the Wraith prison. He realised that somehow on that planet, Daffy had managed to erode the faith that he had in his team. Yet, through it all, his team had never lost faith in him; they never gave up hope on him. He shook his head, thinking back to all the recent events that had brought him here.

A jumble of scattered images came back to him: of Teyla slamming on the floor, of a Wraith attacking him, of him screaming and fighting against those whom he now knew were his friends. He recalled McKay telling him that Teyla was going to all right, he also recalled Weir saying something similar to him earlier. Another uncomfortable memory surfaced and he recalled his recent breakdown in front of McKay. It rivalled the time when he was under the influence of the retrovirus and had attacked Teyla. He felt ashamed and mortified at his lack of control over his own emotions. After all, men do not cry, at least not in front of others. He had learnt that lesson at a young age from his military father…. He felt his face burning with shame at the thought.

"Hey Sheppard?"

Sheppard forced himself to look up.

"About what happened before..." McKay stated firmly. "Well, it _didn't _happen. It's already forgotten."

For someone who was socially inapt, he wondered how sometimes Rodney could read him like an open book. A shadow of a smile crossed his face and he nodded. He knew that in McKay's terms, his breakdown was something that they would never speak of again. For all his faults, sometimes McKay made a damn fine friend. His inner reflections were diverted when he felt Snacks' rough tongue licking the dried salty residue off his cheek. For such a cute creature, it was surprising to know that it had a tongue that rivaled wet sand paper.

"H-hey… Snacks," he greeted his little friend. Another wet and stinky tongue slurped the side of his face again. Sheppard wrinkled his nose and tried to push it away. "Eww… enough Snacks, y-your breath _smells_. McKay… _w-what _have you been f-feeding it?"

The scientist stretched out his hand to pat Snacks on Sheppard's shoulders. "Canned tuna," he smiled happily away. "I've got a nice stash of it in my quarters. Used to enjoy sharing it with my cat."

No wonder its breath smelled so bad like it needed mouth wash. Sheppard wrinkled his nose again, breaking into scowl. "Snacks isn't a cat!" he said a little indignantly.

"Well, he's got eagle-like wings doesn't he? So, it's kinda bird, or at least part hunting bird, therefore it's logical to deduce that it must like fish! And besides when I feed it to Snacks, he seemed to like it and didn't complain!" McKay stated defensively.

The little critter wagged its tail, blinked at McKay and licked its lips. "There!" Rodney crowed, pointing at Snacks. "See that?! Snacks agrees with me!"

Sheppard eyeballed Snacks suspiciously before turning back to McKay. "He l-likes powerbars," he stated adamantly. Snacks chirped happily at that too, making Sheppard smirk a little. He felt calmer now, less confused, the nightmarish flashbacks in his head was staying away this time, making him speculate whether it was brought on by moments of stress. He looked down at himself, reaching for a powerbar that he usually kept in his pocket before realising that he wasn't dressed in BDU's but was in scrubs instead. What was worse, he became aware that he was sitting on the cold hard floor and that he was shivering despite the blanket covering his shoulders. His nose and chest still felt congested with phlegm.

"Rodney?"

"Yes, Sheppard?"

He looked quizzically at the astrophysicist's concerned face. "Why am I sitting on the floor?"

McKay barked out a laugh. "Good question. Would you like me to help you get back into bed?"

Sheppard frowned and nodded. "I t-think my ass has f-frozen over."

McKay chuckled. "Humph! You think? Okay, give me your hand and let's get your frozen butt off the floor and back into bed before the rest of you turn into a popsicle."

For the first time in a long time, Sheppard chuckled. Oh yeah, this was Rodney all right. In all the hallucinogenic scenarios that the Wraith played out in his mind, one thing that it lacked was Rodney's wise-cracking sarcastic wit.

---

When Sheppard was settled more comfortably back on the infirmary bed again with a warm blanket tugged snugly on top of him, he said, "So, Teyla's really a-all right?"

McKay smiled. "Yeah, Sheppard. Carson told me that Teyla has a broken arm and will wake up with a headache, but she's fine."

Sheppard seemed content with his reply.

Rodney searched his jacket pockets and took out a powerbar for Snacks. The little winged creature chirped happily at the sight of it and wagged its tail.

---

Carson had just left Teyla's cubicle to check back on Sheppard and McKay. Teyla was doing reasonably well and as he suspected had regained consciousness again with an aching head. She and Ronon had asked about the colonel and he informed them that Rodney was attempting to calm the pilot down and that Sheppard had asked for Snacks.

"I would like to see him if I could," Teyla stated softly.

Beckett could see clearly that the Athosian would not rest easy until she saw for herself that Sheppard was all right, so he nodded. "I'll get Ronon to push your infirmary bed next door to Colonel Sheppard's cubicle. Perhaps if he is better and has calmed down enough, I'll be able to open the blinds to allow you to see him."

Both Teyla and Ronon appeared happy with his suggestion.

Now as he approached the corner cubicle, he was pleased to note that things seemed relatively calm with no noise emanating from it. It appeared that getting Snacks to the colonel had done the trick. As he silently made his way through the curtain opening, he was surprised at the sight he found. Sheppard was asleep curled up in an infirmary bed with Snacks snuggled up close to his face sleeping as well. One limp arm was curled loosely on top of Snacks' soft brown fur, cuddling it in slumber. McKay was also asleep on the visitor's chair; his neck flung backwards at an awkward angle, his mouth slightly ajar, giving out soft snores. He frowned slightly as he watched McKay sleeping at such an odd angle. When the astrophysicist awoke, he would probably suffer from a sore neck. He contemplated waking McKay up but decided that the rest would do Rodney more good than harm. He was well aware of how little rest the astrophysicist had managed since trying to repair the Wraith mind device. At the rate the scientist had been pushing himself he had been afraid that he would have to order McKay to get some sleep before Rodney collapsed from exhaustion. Therefore, he really didn't have the heart to disturb his friend now.

He went to a spare infirmary bed nearby and placed a blanket gently over the scientist's sleeping form. McKay mumbled something but didn't awake and Beckett shook his head and smiled.

He now approached Sheppard scrutinising the sleeping figure closer. Sighing softly to himself, he gently took Sheppard's injured palm, undid the makeshift bandage there and efficiently attended to the wound. Sheppard stirred slightly from his ministrations, opened tired and sleepy eyes to stare at him silently for a moment. "H-hey doc."

Carson smiled at his patient, relieved and glad that Sheppard had recognised him and was coherent again. "Go back to sleep colonel. I'm just here to make sure that everything's fine."

"'Kay," Sheppard replied as heavy eyelids fluttered close again and he snuggled closer to Snacks. After a minute, he heard deep breathing coming from the colonel indicating that the man had fallen asleep again.

Beckett widened his smile and as gently as possible, he hooked up the sleeping man back to the IV ports again, trying his best not to disturb his patient. Sheppard certainly looked a lot calmer and in truth better, since he last saw him on the floor in the corner. He also appeared to be sleeping more peacefully now which surprised Beckett a little. Usually the colonel's sleep was quite restless broken by constant tossing and turning. He wondered whether the more peaceful sleep was the result of having the presence of Snacks beside him or due to his talk with McKay. Perhaps it was both. He took the sleeping man's temperature, noting that Sheppard's fever hadn't gone up but had remained constant. Taking a damp cloth, he wiped the beads of sweat from the colonel's forehead while at the same time brushing a stray lock of hair away from Sheppard's forehead.

When he had done everything he could for Sheppard, he opened the side curtain blinds and motioned for Ronon to bring Teyla to the spare cubicle next door. The Satedan quickly complied and soon Sheppard's team were all together again, with the healthy ones watching over their sick or injured team mates.

Beckett smiled as he turned to leave his patients. However, he hadn't gone far when he heard a little enquiry chirp coming from Sheppard's bed. Turning around, he saw Snacks opening its eyes and blinking its copper brown eyes at him.

"Everything's all right, go back to sleep, Snacks," he reassured the wee critter.

Snacks closed its eyes and placed its head back down on Sheppard's neck again. Then it gave out a soft yawn before nodding off to sleep again.

Beckett smiled and left Sheppard's team and their little winged friend to their slumber.

---

To be continued


	24. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

Thank you everyone for all your kind reviews :D

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 31**

_He found himself walking through a golden wheat field, his hands stretched out __once again __to feel the lush growth at his finger tips. Something pulled at him, directing him to the centre of the field. He increased his pace, knowing who would be __there, __waiting for him. He felt the Wraith long before he saw it. _

_Arriving at his destination, he saw Lf'wyne standing at the centre of a lighted circular area where the wheat had been flatted to the ground. It reminded him of those mysterious patterns and rings found in wheat fields back home on Earth. _

"_Ah, Sheppard. I had sensed a great deal of pain and confusion in you earlier; it concerned me greatly. Are you well?" Lf'wyne asked him. _

_Sheppard shrugged his shoulders. "I'm still alive, if that's what you mean." _

_The Wraith chuckled. "So you are indeed." Then it narrowed its gaze and inspected Sheppard a little closer. _

_Suddenly, he felt an alien presence touching his mind, to which he immediately took a step backward, feeling slightly alarmed. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "You do __know__ that you're not allowed to go poking inside my head where you're not invited, don't you?"_

_The Wraith looked up at him, startled, before chuckling to itself once again. He felt the alien presence retreat immediately. "My apologies Sheppard, I was not seeking the secrets of your mind - those are safe and shall always belong to you. But I sensed that something is different within you know now. You are… better. The Wraith device implanted in your mind is no longer there."_

"_It isn't?" Sheppard asked feeling slightly surprised by this piece of news. Then he recalled vague memories of Beckett and his team telling him that Hermiod had removed something from his head while he was in the stasis pod. However, he had been only half awake at those times and hadn't really taken in all the information that was being told to him. He remembered the flashbacks triggered from the mind device during his time in the infirmary and he wondered about them. If the device had been removed from his head, why was he still experiencing its side effects? _

_"Are you sure?"  
_

_Lf'wyne nodded. "Yes, I am certain. This is good news Sheppard, good news indeed." _

_The Wraith seemed pleased by this fact. It looked to the ground, knelt down to pick up a broken wheat stem and studied it. After a while, it locked its reptilian eyes back at Sheppard. "You and your people continue to amaze me, Sheppard. I sense that you are no longer in the stasis chamber. However, the device implanted in your chest has not yet been removed. It is slowly killing you. Have your people not been successful at removing it?"_

"_No," he replied. There was nothing else to say for that. _

"_I see," Lf'wyne noted softly before narrowing its gaze. "Tell me Sheppard, how is it that you are still alive? It took me some time to get here, by all my calculations you should be dead by now."_

_Sheppard looked down at his hands as he remembered the other Wraith: the Wraith that had tried to attack him back in Atlantis. He didn't really know how it got there and he hadn't had a chance to question his team about it, perhaps they had spoken to him about it, but he didn't recall it. However, from a guess, he would say that his team must have captured it. It was the most logical reason and it also would explain how his team managed to track him down on the planet where he was being held prisoner. But now he found himself torn with a dilemma. He knew that he couldn't reveal to Lf'wyne that they now had a captured Wraith in their midst. He did not know how Lf'wyne would react to that news. After all, he was still a Wraith. So, he shook his head, feeling uneasy. _

"_You are unhappy that I'm alive?" Nothing worked better than countering a question into a question._

_The Wraith studied him a moment longer before it shook its head and chuckled softly. "Ah, Sheppard, you know that that is not true. It is just that your will to survive constantly amazes me. I have never met one such as you before. Yet, I sense that there is something which you do not wish to tell me," it paused now, "but you are entitled to your own secrets Sheppard, as am I to mine. It is what which makes us who we are."_

_Sheppard nodded, feeling somewhat relieved and grateful to the Wraith that it wasn't going to push the topic. _

"_But that is not the reason why I summoned you here," the Wraith continued. _

_Sheppard didn't like the idea of being 'summoned' anywhere but he kept his own counsel, allowing Wraith to continue speaking. _

"_Within an hour, I shall reach our agreed point of destination. I shall wait for you for three days, after that I must return to my Hive. But you must come yourself, Sheppard. I trust no other human even if they are your own people. Can you still make it?"_

_Sheppard wondered about it himself. Could he convince Weir to let him go? If they couldn't find a solution to help him themselves, he would have to find a way to get there himself. There was no other choice. _

_"I'll be there," he replied._

_The Wraith smiled. "That is good, Sheppard. I shall look forward to meeting you, my brother. Remember, three days, after that I will be gone…"_

---

He woke up with a start, his eyes snapping open only to see Ronon sitting on a chair nearby watching him calmly.

"You okay?" he heard the Satedan ask.

Sheppard nodded, breathing heavily, recalling the fading words of Lf'wyne that seemed to echo in his head. "Yeah…"

"Nightmare?" Ronon asked again.

Sheppard thought back to his dream, remembering his promise to Lf'wyne. He shook his head and laid his head back down on the pillow again.

"Not this time," he replied. He would have to inform his team about the Wraith but now was not the time. He took a dry swallow but ended up coughing instead. Ronon was instantly there lending him support by helping him sit up slightly and tapping him on the back until the cough subsided. He felt exhausted and drenched in sweat by the time the Satedan helped him to lay back down again. He nodded his thanks when the Satedan handed him a plastic cup with a straw in it. He drank a few sips of water, feeling it ease the soreness in his throat. Returning the cup to Dex, he closed his eyes and nodded his thanks. Ronon handed him a tissue which he happily blew his congested nose on.

He was trying to go back to sleep again when he felt something warm and furry wiggling at his side. Opening his eyes, he looked down to see Snacks curled up close beside him, fidgeting and stirring sleepily from the recent noise and movement around it. Its bandaged wing looked new with no more doodles or writings on it. Obviously someone had attended to the little Talmera's injuries and re-bandaged its wing. He was glad to see it as his field medical training didn't really consist of dealing with injured wild animals. Somehow, he suspected that the person responsible was Beckett as they didn't have any vets aboard, although they did have a Zoologist.

"You need anything?" Ronon asked him quietly, still studying him as if to make sure that he was truly okay. Sheppard looked up again at the Satedan, noticing that the big guy had some new bruises on his face. He hoped that he hadn't been the cause of them but he suspected otherwise as he had vague recollections of fighting with others after the Wraith's attack. He wanted to know what had happened to that other Wraith and how the Wraith got into Atlantis, but didn't really feel much like speaking or asking questions at the moment.

He sighed, turning to look around now and was surprised to find both McKay and Teyla nearby. McKay was currently asleep in a visitor's chair and he grimaced in sympathy at the stiff neck that the scientist would obviously have upon awakening. On his left side, Teyla was also sound asleep on another infirmary bed with her left arm in a cast and supported by a sling. There were stitches on her forehead that was also marked with colourful bruises. He was glad to see that she was still alive and he felt relief wash over him. Seeing her bandaged arm made him realise of a throbbing pain on his own hand. Looking down, he saw a clean bandage covering his right palm. He seemed to recall cutting it on a wooden splinter and Rodney's clumsy attempts at bandaging it.

"Sheppard? You need anything?" Dex asked him again interrupting his silent musings. He sensed concern in the Satedan as he hadn't answered him yet. He considered the Satedan's question now and realised that he could do with a visit to the bathroom, where among other things, he also hoped to wash his face and rinse his mouth. The inside of his mouth felt and tasted as if something had died in it. He figured that his breath must rival that of Snacks.

"Bathroom," he finally replied. He still didn't feel up to talking much, so taking on the habit of Ronon's curt replies, worked well for him.

Dex nodded as he gently helped Sheppard sit up. Everything spun dizzily for a moment, but Ronon held him steady, making sure that he didn't tumble out of bed. After a while, he found that he got his bearings and signalled Ronon that he was ready to move again. However, by then, Snacks had woken up more fully, giving out a sleepy indignant chirp as it began scratching itself, unfolding one long impressive wing before tucking it back again only to shake itself and scramble all over the bed. He caught hold of the wiggling form, placing it on his lap, one hand caressing the little Talmera under the neck, as the Satedan helped him swing his legs to the side of the bed. As the Satedan glanced up, he saw Dex freeze slightly, glaring none too pleasantly at Snacks. It appeared that Ronon was a little wary of the Talmera and hadn't taken a liking for it.

However, before he could question Dex, the Satedan said "Wait here." Ronon got up and left, only to return, rolling a wheelchair and holding a pair of white fluffy night slippers in his hand.

"I think I can w-walk, Ronon."

Dex looked adamant. "Beckett's instructions before he left."

"I r-remember waking up… seeing Carson…"

Ronon nodded. "He came in regularly to check on you throughout the night. Don't think he got much sleep." Dex informed him.

Sheppard felt a little guilty over that, knowing how dedicated Beckett was to his patients. If there was one physician who wore his heart on his sleeve, it was Beckett. The Scotsman was a sensitive and gentle soul, passionate about his job and saving lives. His gaze went back to the night footwear that Dex held in his hand.

"They y-yours?" he pointed to the white fluffy slippers, finding it difficult to imagine the tall Satedan wearing them. In fact, he wondered where the heck the warrior got them in the first place. The Satedan gave him a scowl that informed him otherwise.

"Beckett's," Ronon finally informed him.

Without asking, the Satedan suddenly moved, pushed Snacks off his lap and onto the bed and lifted him like a child, placing him gently down onto the wheelchair.

Sheppard frowned indignantly. "I could h-have got into it myself," he gasped.

The Satedan gave him a smirk as if to say _'That's what you get for implying the slippers were mine,_' before he coolly placed the fluffy white footwear on Sheppard's bare and cold feet. To his surprise, he felt instant warmth emanating from the fluffy white footwear.

There was an annoyed chirp coming from the bed and Snacks bounded off the mattress to land snugly on Sheppard's lap. The pilot settled the Talmera down, petting the soft slick fur, loving the feel of the smooth golden brown feathers when he reached the uninjured folded wing.

"You borrowed them from Beckett?" He indicated the fluffy white footwear that he was now wearing. They felt nice, warming up his cold toes.

To his surprise, Ronon shook his head, his long dreadlocks swinging in motion. "Doc's currently asleep in his office, otherwise I would have asked."

Sheppard couldn't hide the smile, knowing that Carson won't appreciate waking up and finding that his night slippers were missing. "What? So you _s-__stole _them?"

"Nope, just borrowed them."

Okay, now curiosity peaked and he simply _had _to ask. "And how did you _know_ w-where to get them?" Somehow he never imagined Dex being the kind of guy who would hang out in Beckett's office.

The Satedan gave him a feral grin and pointed to Snacks. "Your friend stole the first one and brought it here while you were sleeping. I followed it when it went out for the second one; it seemed to have a fondness for them."

Sheppard turned he head to glare at the Talmera playing with his fingers. "_Snacks…?_" he questioned the little critter. "I thought you only liked s-shiny stuff…"

Snacks of course simply wagged its tag and gave a wide yawn, looking by all means innocent. It then began to lick its right paw and rub the side of its face with it, behaving very similar to a cat washing itself. Personally Sheppard liked to think of the little Talmera as having more dog-like or eagle-like tendencies instead of behaving like McKay's cat. He frowned down at it before shaking his head and smiling wryly. No, he knew that Snacks wasn't a cat, it was just unique, perhaps more ferret like, being a little thief and all. Nevertheless, he moved his hand to pet the little creature curled up on his lap.

"Becareful, it spits." Ronon suddenly warned him.

"What?" he asked in puzzlement. Once again, he noticed that the warrior was eyeing Snacks with wariness and distrust on his feature. Something must have happened between Snacks and the Satedan for the big guy to behave the way he did. He wanted to ask about it, but by then they had reached the infirmary bathroom and Dex was guiding him out of his wheelchair. Snacks scrambled out from his lap and leaped to the floor. Sheppard found that although he could stand and walk on his own, he still felt pretty weak and was secretly glad for the support that the Satedan gave.

As he entered the bathroom, Ronon stationed himself outside with the words, "If you need me, just yell."

Sheppard smiled and nodded.

---

The pilot was settling back into bed again, feeling more refreshed after his bathroom visit when McKay and Teyla woke up at the arrival of the nurse bearing two breakfast trays.

"Ow! My neck!" McKay gasped out while halfway through a big yawn. "What have I done to my neck? Ouch, my back!"

"You slept funny," Ronon informed him.

"I can see that!" McKay grumbled. "Now I need therapy for my neck _and _back! Where's Carson?"

"Still asleep," the Satedan replied. "You want me to fix you?"

"What?!" McKay eyed him suspiciously. "How?"

The Satedan grinned. "I know a method or two."

"Thank you, Ronon, but I'm not allowing your grubby paws on me, you might break something vital, and personally I need my neck and back in one piece. I think I'll leave the medical remedies to professional people." McKay moved stiffly to wave the nurse towards him. "You there.. nurse! I need coffee!"

The young nurse whom Sheppard recalled was named Amy frowned at the scientist. "I'm afraid the hot drinks are for our patients only, Dr McKay," she said as she handed the breakfast tray to Sheppard. "However, there is a coffee machine in the infirmary waiting room which you are most welcomed to use."

"Here, Rodney, you can have my orange juice instead." Sheppard said handing a mug over to McKay.

"What?! Are you trying to kill me?!" he glared daggers at Sheppard. "You know I'm allergic to citrus! Oh… wait, that's not juice… it's oh god… it's coffee! Thanks!"

"You're w-welcome." Sheppard smiled, realising how much he had missed this - the banter and jokes with his team. Snacks was now wagging its tail like crazy, chirping and trying to scramble for the food on his tray. He pushed the little Talmera away and tossed it a piece of warm bread which Snacks happily caught in its mouth.

However, his actions resulted with Amy frowning at him in disapproval. "That breakfast is for you Colonel Sheppard, not for your … What _is _that thing?" she asked curiously as she handed the other breakfast tray to Teyla.

"Snacks!" McKay answered as he drank his coffee and winced in pain as it pulled at his sore neck muscles. "That little rascal is Sheppard's new pal and he's called Snacks."

Sheppard smiled as he opened the lid of a small bowl containing heated porridge on his breakfast tray. He poured milk and stirred it with a spoon. Then he dropped some sweet raisings into it. The remaining piece of warm bread he was saving for Snacks no matter what the nurse said.

"Oh, it's so cute!" Amy's eyes now glittered with adoration as she stared at the ferret like creature, leaning forward by Sheppard's bed.

"Be careful it spits," warned Ronon, as the nurse lifted Snacks up by both hands to cuddle it. The nurse appeared a little startled by the Satedan's warning and looked hesitantly at Snacks.

"Only, if you carry it by its tail, Ronon. As I told you before, it does _not _like that," Teyla noted from her infirmary bed as she took a sip from her cup of hot tea and sighed contently.

Ah, so that explained the mystery to that, Sheppard thought to himself as he ate another spoonful of his porridge.

The Athosian turned back to the young nurse and reassured her. "I have carried it many times, I am sure it will not harm you."

Snacks cooed under Amy's caress, wagging its tail. The young nurse smiled and tickled its tummy. "I love it, it's so cute," she repeated again, unable to tear her eyes away from Snacks.

McKay rolled his eyes, "Oh god, Snacks is as bad as you, Kirk!"

Although Sheppard knew that it was spoken in jest, the mention of Kirk's name abruptly reminded him of his time with Daffy. He tensed up immediately suddenly losing his appetite and feeling himself breaking into a cold sweat. Teyla however must have been watching him for she seemed to sense immediately that something was wrong.

"John, are you all right?" The Athosian asked him, sounding concerned.

He nodded, tried to swallow down the mouthful of porridge that he had just taken. A tight knot appeared in the pit of his stomach and his hand holding the porridge spoon began to tremble. _It's only a name, John. A damn name! Dammit! What's the matter with you?! _He knew that he was showing classic signs of PTSD and he hated himself for it. He swallowed again only to end up coughing violently. To his horror, he discovered that he couldn't stop coughing. Instantly, the nurse was by his side, supporting his trembling body. Someone, probably Ronon, quickly removed the food tray from his lap. The fire in his chest and gut burned painfully and before he knew what was happening, he was grapping the bed rails at the side and throwing up what little food he had managed to digest. Everything became a blur, he felt hands supporting him, someone calling for the doctor before a roaring filled his ears and he knew nothing more.

---

Voices, he heard voices speaking softly, waking him from his slumber.

"Sheppard's not well enough, we can't allow this," McKay stated nearby, he sounded angry, yet he was speaking in soft tones as if afraid to wake up the slumbering colonel.

_Too late for that_, the pilot thought wryly to himself.

"It's … it's just _not _right," McKay continued.

"I know, Rodney," Weir replied. To Sheppard's ears, she sounded tired. "Believe me, I agree with you whole heartedly."

"Can you not do anything to prevent them from questioning him?" This query came from Teyla. "I do not believe he is strong enough to go through this, Elizabeth. He has suffered much in the hands of the Wraith. We must protect him by all means."

"I know, Teyla, don't you think I _know _this?" Weir replied softly in frustration. "They tell me that Mr Rogunie will be arriving within an hour. John's been asleep all this time and from everything that's occurred, we still haven't warned the colonel about him."

With his eyes still closed, Sheppard wondered who this _Rogunie _character was and why he needed warning in the first place. An uncomfortable feeling began to grow at the pit of his stomach.

"I'm afraid that Dr Weir's hands are tied, lass." This time Carson spoke up. "If she tries to prevent the IOA from sending Mr Rogunie through or stop him from questioning the colonel, they've threatened to remove her from her post."

"What?" McKay sounded shocked. "They can't do that! Can they, Elizabeth?"

"Apparently so," came Weir's bitter reply.

"I've learnt that there's no arguing with the IOA." Caldwell's grim voice added.

"But still, this is so _wrong_. Sheppard doesn't need this now, especially after what Carson told us about his condition. And the Wraith in ICU isn't sounding too good either, which means we need to find a cure for him now. The last thing he needs is to be interrogated by the representative of the IOA! God, who in their rights minds would think that Sheppard could be compromised and working for the Wraith?!" McKay spoke up in obvious frustration, his voice getting louder and faster.

_So that was it_, Sheppard thought bitterly to himself. As if he didn't have enough troubles to contend with. He recalled Lf'wyne, his Wraith friend who was waiting for him at their agreed destination. Three days it would wait for him, Lf'wyne had said. He had to find a way to meet up with the Wraith. But if the IOA believed him compromised by the Wraith, telling them about Lf'wyne might make things worse; make him more of a prime suspect to their paranoia. He bit his bottom lip, torn between what to reveal and what to keep to himself. _Was it a dream or real? _He began to doubt himself, wondering whether the Wraith really was there waiting for him or whether it was only in his subconscious wishful thinking. He wasn't quite sure anymore. If Heightmeyer heard about it, he felt certain that she would say that he was confused, suffering from PTSD. Truthfully, he wasn't certain how right she would be in that assessment. _Dammit, this made things a lot more complicated_.

"Shhh, Rodney, not so loud… or you might wake up John." He heard Teyla say.

"We're in Carson's office, Teyla, I _don't _think Sheppard will be able to hear us from here. It's not as if he has bat ears," came the acerbic reply. Despite having his eyes closed, Sheppard frowned again at hearing this. If only McKay knew the truth. Ever since waking up in the Wraith-worshipper's cell, he knew that his eyesight was more fine-tuned than normal, but he never really considered that he also had sharper hearing as well. He stretched out his senses and realised that there was someone sitting on the chair beside his bed. By the regular breathing sounds, he recognised his silent companion as Ronon.

"No, you're right, Rodney," Weir replied. "I'll fight this. Even if I lose my job, I'll fight it tooth and nail to see that John doesn't get treated like a prisoner by his own people, especially not by the IOA."

"Are you sure you want to do that, ma'am?" Caldwell stated, not sounding pleased by her decision.

"I am. They can't remove me straight away; they'll need to find a replacement first. At the very least, it'll give John some much needed time and for the rest of you to find a cure for him."

Sheppard understood something. He knew that he couldn't allow Elizabeth to fight his battles for him. He opened his eyes. Ronon was instantly by his side.

"How are you feeling?" the Satedan asked him.

He looked at Ronon. Truthfully, he felt like crap, but he wetted his lips anyway and said weakly. "I n-need to speak to Elizabeth."

---

To be continued


	25. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

To all who took the time to review, thank you, your comments are appreciated.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 32**

Elizabeth frowned, her features hard as she shook her head. "No, John. I'm sorry but I can't allow you to do this."

She still found it difficult to get over the fact that Sheppard had somehow overheard their conversation. When she questioned Ronon about it, the Satedan had informed her that he hadn't heard anything and all knew that the Satedan has sharp hearing. It looked like the change in the colonel's DNA was definitely giving him sharper senses. If she had known, she would have taken steps to prevent him from knowing about the IOA's threats to her position. She knew that it was one reason why he was agreeing to do this for John would always do anything to protect his team and those in Atlantis even if it was to his own detriment.

"Do you _know_ what you're going to allow yourself to be put through, John?" she asked him evenly, her gaze locked onto his.

Hazel-green eyes stared back at her. "I have a fair idea," Sheppard replied stubbornly. "But I can't allow you to l-lose your job because of me. Besides, there's n-no other option. I have to…" he paused to catch his breath, "…handle this myself."

Beckett frowned. "You're getting weaker, lad. Our Wraith prisoner is dying, I'm afraid that there's only so much I know about Wraith physiology. While we're doing everything we can to try to keep it alive his outlook doesn't look promising."

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do to save it?" Weir asked the doctor.

"Not unless we are willing to sacrifice a human being for it to feed on, Elizabeth."

"But it killed and fed on Lt Cumins when it escaped. I saw the lieutenant's corpse myself or at least what was left of it. Wouldn't that have been enough for it self-heal?" Caldwell asked.

Beckett shook his head. "No, the Wraith was already starving. When it consumed the lieutenant's life-force, it might have eased its hunger but it wasn't enough to regenerate all its cells when Sergeant Tucker riddled it with bullets. The fact that it had recently fed upon Lt Cumins is probably the reason why the poor bugger isn't dead yet. It managed to heal some of the damage done but not all."

Teyla spoke up. "I believe that it does _not _wish to live."

Sheppard gave her a sharp look. "Why n-not?"

The Athosian shook her head and eyed Sheppard sadly. Her arm was still in a cast but Carson had already discharged her from the infirmary. "Dr Beckett asked me to try to link with the wounded Wraith in an attempt to find a way to save it. When I did so, I sensed only deep anger and hatred emanating from it. It burns with bitterness and hostility, desiring only our destruction and that of Atlantis. However, as it knows that that is something that it cannot have at present, it seeks its own death. In death, it knows then that we would be unable to extract anymore information from it."

"Aye, I agree with Teyla's assessment," Beckett added.

When Sheppard asked how they had managed to capture the Wraith, they told him about it.

Weir appeared troubled. "Are you sure you're up to confronting the IOA representative, John?" she asked again. "You do know that I'm willing to fight them on this."

Sheppard didn't answer immediately but studied his team. All of them were staring at him intensely. He knew that they didn't want him to do this. In fact, Ronon was scowling darkly at him, his arms crossed over his chest, shaking his head slightly clearly implying for him not to do this; Teyla was obviously unhappy and disapproved of it too; and McKay huffed in annoyance, saying, "Dammit! Sheppard, this is ridicules! We'll find a way to hide you, smuggle you away, at least until you're better. But for freakin' sake, do you honestly want to be put through the wringer by the IOA?!"

"My people would accept you into their homes anytime, John." Teyla offered, clearly hoping that he would take up the offer. "You have done much for us. Please let us do this for you."

However, Sheppard pursed his lips and shook his head. This was something that he could not run away and hide from. It had to be dealt with sooner or later and personally he preferred sooner. He was always one to grab the bull by its horns, act on his emotions, as he was not one for procrastination.

"No, if I did t-that, it would imply t-that I'm guilty. Let me t-try to reason with the guy first. If things take a turn for the worse, then you can do w-what you want."

Weir folded her arms together and nodded; her gaze intense with concern. "Very well John. However, if you still want to do this, you should know all the facts, I'm afraid that I have more bad news for you. I've received recent instructions from the IOA again. It seems that they heard about what happened in the infirmary. They're afraid of you getting violent again. Therefore the IOA has ordered that you to be handcuffed when their representative arrives to question you."

Sheppard froze at that. This was something that he hadn't expected, to be treated like a criminal even before he had a chance to defend himself. He felt his muscles becoming tense, his heart rate accelerating slightly, his tension headache increasing. He forced himself to remain calm, to take slow deep breaths. He knew that he had hurt some Atlantis personnel when he had lost it yesterday. Although no one had been seriously injured, many were sporting bruises and black eyes.

"John? You okay?" Elizabeth asked him, and he felt her hand gently gripping his shoulder, checking whether he was all right.

He took a swallow and eased his breathing, looking at Snacks sleeping on his lap. "Yeah, I'm okay."

However, McKay came striding forward, obviously unable to contain his frustration over the entire situation. He came to John's defence when he saw that Sheppard wasn't going to argue the point. "I don't freakin' believe this! The IOA deserves to be shot! That's a load of crap!" McKay rounded at her. "Now you know that wasn't Sheppard's fault! God, everyone has a breaking point, waking up, getting attacked by a Wraith, I would say that constituted a damn good excuse for his delirious behaviour!"

"I concur, Rodney has a point," Carson added.

Weir nodded. "Yes, I know, none of us are blaming John over what's happened. Even Heightmeyer wrote a report out for John in his defence stating that it was probably the result of PTSD. But the IOA are taking no chances and they are refusing to reason with us on this matter."

She sighed. "Look, John, you don't have to do this, I could try…"

"No, Elizabeth," he cut her off before she could complete her sentence. He felt touched by their desire to protect him. But this wasn't their battle to fight. "I will c-comply with the IOA's wishes…." He paused, frowning at his stutter. "Dammit, Carson! W-why am I still s-stammering?!" he shot a frustrated look at Beckett.

Carson shook his head sympathetically and said, "Just a reaction from the Wraith implant, lad. Our tests showed that your synaptic nerves are still trying to deal with the trauma of the Wraith implant. Just give it time to heal lad, your stutter should go away in time."

"I h-hope so doc," he replied, his insides still churning over what he had just agreed upon. But he knew that he was right, that he had to do this. That he had to face the IOA, that there was no other choice. Realistically, he knew that he wouldn't be allowed to remain in Atlantis if the IOA or SGC suspected that he had been compromised. He would probably be shipped back to Earth to rot in some military prison.

However McKay wasn't willing to give up the fight. His hand was gripping his neck, indicating that the scientist still suffered from a sore neck. "Have you completely lost your mind, Sheppard?! You are _not _a prisoner or a criminal here but a _victim _of whatever hell that Wraith put you through! You _don't _have to agree with this! You _don't _have to take this sitting down! Especially not from the IOA!"

He knew that McKay meant well but he was getting fed up of having to explain himself to everyone. "Believe me, Rodney, I am _not _t-taking this _sitting _down! But if the IOA wants to q-question me, it's within their r-rights to do so. It is _n-not _something that I _want _to do but what I _have _to do! I have f-fight my own battles, McKay. No one else c-can fight it for me. If I don't do this, I w-won't be allowed to stay in Atlantis a-and definitely not as her military commander!"

McKay looked shocked at his outburst but the message finally sunk in.

"Colonel Sheppard's correct," Caldwell interjected while he folded his arms across his chest. "The military does not look kindly at the prospect of potential traitors in their ranks. No offence, colonel."

"None t-taken, sir," the pilot replied wryly.

Caldwell nodded as he continued. "I see this as Sheppard's best course of action. If he wants to continue to stay on Atlantis, he has to agree to this."

"Thank you, sir," said Sheppard, glad that someone understood where he was coming from, even though it turned out to be Caldwell. But then both of them were military men serving the US Air Force, they understood how things worked. He coughed softly, still feeling slightly shaky and feverish, but that couldn't be helped. He wondered whether he could ask Beckett to provide him with some stimulant that would boost his strength to allow him to get through the interrogation without collapsing.

"Carson, can I c-change into my uniform? I'd prefer not t-to be in scrubs when I meet the IOA representative."

Beckett understood. "Aye, lad. I'll see that someone fetches your uniform for ye."

Caldwell cleared his throat and he looked a little uncomfortable as he spoke up again. "Colonel Sheppard, I believe that you should know that the IOA also instructed us that you're to be placed in an isolated ward during the questioning."

Beckett nodded and sighed. "Aye, lad. If you agree to this, we'll be setting up the observation room where we originally kept Michael."

_So, the IOA is really going to treat me like a criminal_, Sheppard thought bitterly to himself. "I understand," he replied, "Do what w-what's required." At least he would be allowed back into his uniform again, so that should count for something.

"I'll drop by your quarters, colonel and get your clothes," McKay offered.

"Thanks, Rodney," he murmured. Absently, he petted the little Talmera that was still snoozing on his lap.

Before they left, Sheppard turned towards Weir, McKay, Teyla and Ronon. "Can I speak to you guys privately for a moment? Not necessary now, but sometime soon." He knew that he had to tell them about Lf'wyne. If they couldn't find a cure for him, he would have to leave Atlantis soon.

"Of course John," Elizabeth replied. She looked at the time and frowned. "We don't have much time now, Mr Rogunie would be arriving soon. I'll see you after you've met the IOA representative?"

Sheppard nodded. "Sure, afterwards is f-fine."

---

As Weir and Caldwell exited the infirmary, Caldwell stated solemnly. "I must admit that I'm a little surprised, I never expected Colonel Sheppard to agree with this."

Elizabeth turned to study the Daedalus commander walking beside her. When she spoke, her gaze and voice were frosty. "That is why John Sheppard _doesn't _deserve this treatment, Colonel. That is the same man whom you had placed in restraints in the stasis pod; the same man whom you claimed - not so long ago I might add - might be compromised by the Wraith."

Caldwell thought about her words and the man whom he had just left. He felt ashamed and a little guilty that he had doubted Sheppard's honour and loyalty to Atlantis and her people. The fact that he was willing to go through the trial and humiliation to proof his innocence impressed him greatly.

"It looks like I might have been mistaken," he added softly.

Weir was surprised. It wasn't often that Caldwell admitted to a mistake.

---

Sheppard was standing in the isolated ward dressed in his standard BDUs again. There was an empty table in the middle of the room and two empty chairs, one was for him and one reserved for the IOA representative. Beckett and McKay had just left the room, leaving him alone now.

Before they had left, Beckett had looked at him and said, "You sure you want to do this, lad?"

"Not want to, Carson, b-but have to," he repeated again. Earlier the doctor had found a stimulant that his body didn't react badly to. Although the Scotsman had been reluctant to administer it to him, Beckett saw that the need was pressing and had done so unwillingly. As a result, Sheppard felt stronger now, more capable of facing what was in store for him.

"Aye, sorry lad, I understand. I just wish there was something more that we could do."

"That's okay doc, t-thanks for your help."

Beckett left leaving McKay in the room carrying Snacks in his arms. "Well, good luck Sheppard. I still think you're nuts for doing this. But don't worry about Snacks, I'll take care of it while you're being put through the wringer."

"Thanks Rodney," Sheppard replied wryly as he reached out to scratch the little Talmera under the neck. Snacks squeaked in delight at him and gave him a little tail wag and a one sided wing flap.

"Oh, did you see that?!" McKay asked a little excitedly. "I'll say that our little friend is getting eager to fly again."

"I won't be surprised," Sheppard said, giving it a final pet and feeding it a small piece of powerbar that he held ready. Snacks gobbled it up in two bits and licked its lips. The pilot smiled before he looked up at Rodney again. "I'll see you both l-later."

McKay nodded as he headed out the door. "Good luck, Sheppard. Give the IOA guy hell."

A little while later, Major Lorne arrived carrying a set of handcuffs with him. Sheppard tensed immediately as he held out both hands in front of him. The young Major looked clearly unhappy about this.

"I'm sorry about this, Colonel," he stated apologetically. He looked at Sheppard then as if asking his permission for what he was about to do.

"Not your fault, Major, just do your duty." He was pleased to note that his voice sounded calm enough, displaying no evidence of his frazzled and tensed nerves.

"Thank you, sir," Lorne replied, as he attached the security hand cuffs on his wrists.

Feeling the cold edge of steel encasing his wrists instantly evoked unwanted memories of his torture and experiments by the Wraith. He clenched his jaw tightly and swallowed hard, fighting to control the raw emotions that he felt rising deep within him at the memory. He felt his heart beat accelerate and cold sweat break from his skin. His gut also twisted with painful tension from the stress he was feeling at the moment. Sudden nausea threatened to overwhelm him.

"Sir… Are you all right?" Something must have shown on his face, betraying his inner feelings, for he saw the young major looking at him with open concern now.

He swallowed again and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine," he replied as he forced himself to remain calm and hold down the nausea. He had lost it once in the infirmary; he refused to lose control again. _You're a soldier dammit! Get in control of yourself. Now is NOT the time to lose it! _he silently reprimanded himself.

He looked down at the shackles in his hands again trying to be grateful that Lorne had the decency to place them in front of him instead of behind his back. The fact that the handcuffs were reasonably large that they didn't chafe his wrists badly was also a bonus. It also meant that he had still some limited maneuverability in his hands, which was a good thing. Lorne gently helped him to sit on the empty chair beside the square table as if he suspected that Sheppard was still trying to recover from his state of shock. Sheppard knew that the major would have felt the slight tremors of his body, but if Lorne noticed it, he made no sign of it, to which Sheppard was eternally grateful.

When Lorne and his security team left, he sighed, wiping a thin layer of sweat from his face. He looked up at the glass observation deck above him. He knew that there was where his team, Elizabeth, Carson and Caldwell would be observing him during the questioning session. If it was one thing that he hated was the feeling of being watched like some lab mice. He shook his head and sighed, forcing himself to calm down.

_You can do this, John. You can do this_, he told himself over and over again. He had survived being interrogated by Daffy the Wraith. Surely he could deal with one lone IOA agent.

---

At exactly three pm sharp, Mr Rogunie stepped into the room, punctual to the second. He was a well-dressed man in a pinstripe suit, his blond hair and beard neatly combed, not a single strand of hair out of place.

"John Sheppard, I presume?" Rogunie had a cool voice and a collected manner. The tall burly man hadn't addressed the pilot by his rank; Sheppard knew that there had a reason for it, and he didn't like its implications.

Sheppard saw the man's eyes roam, taking in his uniform and his unruly dark hair. There was a slightest look of scorn hinted in his cold blue eyes and a tinge of a smile formed when his sharp gaze took in the metal shackles on Sheppard's wrists.

"Yes," Sheppard curtly replied.

"Good," he stated, "I am Mr Rogunie, Karl Rogunie. I'm sure Dr Weir would have briefed you about why I'm here." He extended a hand out to him.

He looked at offered hand but made no move to shake it. After all, he was in handcuffs, and this man had done nothing to earn his respect. "Yes, I k-know who you are," Sheppard finally stated. He frowned, hating his stutter. He saw the IOA representative's lip curl up slightly in a sneer.

"Good," Rogunie sat himself down on the empty chair. He scrutinised Sheppard for a long moment before he started to speak. "Sheppard, I'm here to inform you that you are relieved of duty as military commander of Atlantis. Colonel Caldwell will be taking over your role until further advisement." His attitude was too calm and collected; his voice was monotonous, with no variation or emotion in it. Sheppard suspected that the IOA representative was purposely not using his rank because he wasn't about to give him any rights.

"Oh, joy," Sheppard quipped sarcastically. He saw a shadow of an annoyed frown crease the other man's forehead before it quickly disappeared. He had already expected this, it was nothing new, but that didn't mean that it didn't leave a bitter taste in his mouth. _So, it begins, _he thought darkly to himself. Anger bubbled deep within him but he used it give him strength instead. He knew that once Rogunie got over the introductions and niceties, the interrogation would begin.

To be continued

---

Note: Regarding the captured wraith in Atlantis, this wraith does not belong to Lf'wyne's hive. It's more associated to Daffy's hive. Hopefully, that clears things up a little. Sorry to those who might be upset that it's dying as it needs to follow the planned plot.


	26. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 33**

Beckett came to the observation room above the isolation ward, approaching Weir as she, Caldwell, Ronon and Teyla watched the interrogation that was going on in the room below. He saw that Sheppard was seated on the chair below, his hands clasped together in front of him staring at the blank wall while the IOA representative was whispering something softly into the colonel's ear. When he finished, Sheppard lowered his head down, shook his head and gave a tired sigh. From the close up computer monitors situated in the observation room, all could see how tired and pale the colonel looked. There were beads of perspiration glistering on his skin resulting from his fever and the powerful lighting that Rogunie had insisted on switching on.

"How's he doing?" Carson asked as he folded his arms together and watched the two men below him, not liking what he saw.

Weir gave him a quick courtesy glance before she shook her head. Her lips pursed in a grim line of disapproval as she stared at the IOA man below. "So far, he seems to be holding his own. God, Carson, from what we've heard so far John's been through hell and back. It appears that he never gave in to the Wraith except to reveal his name. Do you know that John had informed the Wraith that his name was James Kirk?"

There was an amused but sad smile on her lips now.

"He did?" Beckett laughed. "Well Colonel Sheppard always did have a wry sense of humour." He looked around now. "Where did Rodney go?"

Weir glanced at the two remaining members of Sheppard's team still there. "He left, went back to his lab to work on the Wraith device. He told me that he thought he was close to solving the problem he had with it. He said to call him if any further developments occurred. Personally, I think he just couldn't stand by watching a friend be interrogated while we did nothing about it. I don't say that I blame him." Weir said the last sentence bitterly.

Beckett gave her an understanding smile. "Aye, I understand how he feels, but Colonel Sheppard gave us strict orders not to interfere."

Weir nodded sadly as she watched the IOA representative return to his seat in front of Sheppard. "That's because he's doing this for us, Carson. He will go through anything to protect us. And let me ask you what are we doing to protect him in return?"

"Don't forget ma'am that Colonel Sheppard is also doing this for himself. If he manages to convince Rogunie that he hasn't been compromised, he'll get his commission back." Caldwell observed as he looked at the two of them.

"Aye, let's hope that he's able to convince the IOA representative of that," Beckett replied.

"So far Rogunie hasn't used any harsh interrogation techniques to harm John, but I don't like it, Carson," Weir added with a worried frown, as she folded her arms across her chest protectively. "I get the uncomfortable feeling that this will soon change if he doesn't get what he wants out of the colonel. Perhaps it's only my imagination, but I have this uneasy sensation at the pit of my stomach that while we're standing here watching him, John's in danger and this time it's from that IOA representative."

Beckett listened to her and understood what she was trying to say. As soon as he had met Roguine, it was like a dark cloud had descended on Atlantis. The cold eyes, dispassionate smile and cool exterior of the man wearing the pinstripe suit reminded him of a trained assassin just before he made his kill. The thought disturbed him and made him shiver.

---

Sheppard was getting tired and impatient with the man sitting in front of him. After speaking to the IOA representative for about half an hour or so, he quickly came to the conclusion that Rogunie had already made up his mind that he was guilty. The IOA agent was only here to proof that he was guilty.

"So let me get this right. You claimed that the Wraith who captured you injected a device into your mind which resulted in you having hallucinations where you saw your team being killed in front of you? And yet, you did _nothing_ to save them? Not much of a friend, are you?"

Sheppard stared coldly at Rogunie. _Stay calm, John. He wants you to react. Don't demonstrate that you're a basket-case._

"You know, I just figured something out," he finally replied, pasting out a sickly-sweet smile on his face. Two could play this game and personally, he was getting rather sick of looking at Mr Ultra-Cool guy. It was time to ruffle his feathers.

"Yes? What is it?" Rogunie asked curiously, leaning forward with a smug smile stretching his features.

"I finally figured out what's in-between your ears," Sheppard replied smoothly in a steady voice. "You have _crap _for brains." He couldn't help himself; Rogunie was an ass and deserved the insult.

There was a moment's silence. The IOA representative's eyes narrowed for a milli-second. Sheppard's sharpened eyesight also saw a vein twitching underneath the man's left eye but that was about all the reaction he got from Rogunie. The man obviously knew how to play it cool, because in a less controlled individual, he knew he would be having an angry red face threatening him and breathing down his neck the moment he said it. He had been in other interrogations before where such a comment would have seen him suffering painfully for it. However, Rogunie's cool exterior didn't make him feel any better; Rogunie was dangerous, this much he knew.

But Sheppard knew that he had annoyed the man, or at least, got under his skin. He leaned back in his chair and smiled steadily at the IOA representative. He knew that Weir would be shaking her head in exasperation at his reply, but personally, he didn't care.

"I see," Rogunie finally clasped his fingers together and rotated a studded ring around his middle finger looking a bit bored. Sheppard tensed, the sight of the man's ring resulted in a flashback of his time with Daffy. He remembered the Wraith playing with a different studded ring, twirling it around and then pressing it, activating the mind implant and forcing him to scream out his real name over and over again.

Suddenly he felt a hand touching his shoulder, startling him. Before he knew what he was doing, he reacted, flinching at the touch and jerking his shoulder violently away. Flashes of Daffy hitting him viciously flooded his mind. It took him more than a few seconds to realise that a cool and amused voice was addressing him. Reliving the flashback had taken him away from the present and he had not realised when Rogunie had stood up and moved to stand behind him.

"Hmm, don't like to be touched I see… Did the Wraith touch you so, John?" There was an obvious sneer in the cool tone. Once again, as if on spite, he felt Rogunie's hand grip his shoulder again. He hated it to know that Rogunie had found a weakness in him, for he knew that the IOA representative would be able to feel the slight tremors that wracked his body as post reaction to the unwanted touch and the flashback of the Wraith torturing him.

"So tell me, John? What else did the Wraith do to you? What torments did you have to go through that you finally caved in to its demands?"

He forced himself to lean back in the chair. He made no reply to the insinuated insult and took a glance up at the observation window as perspiration beaded down his forehead. They would have seen him react and heard what Rogunie said to him. Biting his lower lip, he tried to ease his breathing down and slow the pace of his heart that was currently beating at a neck-break speed.

His experience with the Wraith had been too fresh, too raw, he knew that he hadn't had a chance to come in terms with what had been done to him yet, and to make matters worse, he now had to relive it all again in Rogunie's questioning. _You're stronger than this, John, don't let the SOB break you._

"Come now, Sheppard. I find it very difficult to believe that you just stood there doing nothing to save yourself and your team." Rogunie's voice continued now in a smooth monotonous tone. "After all, this is not the man that I heard and read so much about. You disobeyed orders, breaking the chain of command in Afghanistan, attempting to go back to save your men. I do not believe that you didn't give the Wraith the information it wanted to save the lives of your team. That does not sound like you, Sheppard. Just admit it, you _wanted _to save your team, you would done _anything _to save your people, including betraying Atlantis and her people."

Rogunie's wiry fingers were now digging painfully into his flesh, close to his collar bone, hard enough to cause bruises. Yet to all outward appearances, those watching from above would not know that he was hurting Sheppard with his hand. The IOA representative obviously had a sadistic streak in him; he enjoyed seeing his detainee suffer. He also knew how to hide what he was doing well from the onlookers above.

The pilot winced and slowly turned to give him a narrowed icy stare. Speaking in a low whisper that was only meant for the IOA representative, he said tightly, "Rogunie, if you _don't _t-take your friggin' hand off me, I promise to b-break every single bone in your fingers so that you're n-never use them for a long while."

He shot the man a dark threatening smile before turning his head to stare ahead. He felt the grip on his shoulder loosen before he was released, his body still throbbing with pain. From how Rogunie behaved, he suspected that the man hadn't wanted Weir and the others to know what he was doing. He could still feel the bite of the man's fingernails on his collarbone. His body tensed wondering what the IOA representative would do next. He expected something subtle, certainly not what he did when Rogunie suddenly pulled his hair, violently jerking his head backwards, before grabbing his neck roughly from behind in a suffocating head choke.

"What t-the hell?!" he gasped. Flashbacks of Daffy jerking his head backwards while he hung on chains assaulted his senses. He attempted to struggle and free himself, trying to fight his assailant off but Rogunie had the advantage of having more muscle tone, being big, burly and unrestrained, compared to Sheppard, who was malnourished, sick and still suffering from a fever.

"Let me go! You d-damn _Wraith!_" he screamed out the words before he even knew what he was saying.

From the intercom above, he heard Weir say loudly in an angry voice, _"Rogunie, what the hell do you think you're doing?! This is unacceptable! Release Colonel Sheppard immediately!"_

"Of course, Dr Weir, my mistake," Rogunie replied smoothly. But just before he released his grip on Sheppard, he increased his choke one last time, tightening the pressure that left Sheppard gasping for breath and causing black spots to dance dramatically in his field of vision. Then he roughly pushed Sheppard away from him, slamming the pilot's chest onto the table edge, making the pilot grunt in pain as he felt something crack.

"Tsk, tsk, how careless of me. You're not hurt are you?" He leaned down, speaking loudly for the benefit of those observing their session, pretending false concern.

His next words however were whispered softly, close to Sheppard's ear, meant for the pilot's hearing only. "Threaten me again, John, and I'll see you regret it before the day is out."

Sheppard gave him a narrowed sideways glare, but he was still trying to get his breath back and settle-down the pain from the blow he had received on his chest, that he did not have any strength left to response. He wondered whether he had cracked a rib. He also knew that Rogunie would have preferred no witnesses to the interrogation and he was glad that Elizabeth was there to watch out for him.

Rogunie then turned and walked back to the front of his prisoner, tugging down his business suit to ensure that there were no wrinkles. He coolly repositioned his tie neatly around his collar before shooting a smug smile at the observation window. Clearing his throat, he looked down at the young, dark haired man before him and spoke in calm and collected voice.

"As you can see, Dr Weir, no harm's been done. I was just making sure that Sheppard understood what was at stake here."

Weir ignored him and addressed Sheppard instead._ "John? Are you all right? I'm sending Carson and Ronon down to check up on you."_

Sheppard head was lowered, but he lifted his eyes to glare back at Rogunie before answering Weir, "Yeah, I'm f-fine." His voice came out coarser than normal.

"No need to, I assure you Dr Weir. I did not harm Sheppard. As you can see, all is well." Rogunie added smoothly.

_"I'll be the judge of that, Mr Rogunie. Dr Beckett and Ronon should be there in a few minutes."_

"Very well, Dr Weir. But after that, I must insist on no more interruptions."

_"Only if you behave, Mr Rogunie. I will not see Colonel Sheppard harmed."_

Rogunie did not reply to that instead he turned back towards Sheppard, making a show of picking off some unseen lint from his immaculate pinstripe suit. Then he sat down, folded his arms in front of him and said, "Now John, shall we continue? Let's see, where were we? Ah, yes, I was observing how you liked to break the change of command by playing the gung-ho hero type…. How you would do almost _anything _for your team, such as in the case of Afgasnistan."

Sheppard glared back at him. He knew that the man was using the familiarity of his first name on purpose just to get on his nerves. The effect of the chokehold and the throbbing pain of his chest were fading slightly, but he could not stop his body from trembling and tensing up from stress. Beads of perspiration began to leak down his forehead. First the Wraith, now Rogunie was bringing up memories of times he would rather soon forget. He had never spoken about his time in Afgasnistan even to his team.

"I went after them because my c-commander had literally washed their hands off those men. They were leaving them to d-die in the hands of the enemy. I was o-only doing my duty: we n-never leave our people behind!"

"And yet, you _failed_…," Rogunie spoke the stinging words in a bored, condescending manner. "You botched your rescue mission. Your men and Holland died in the end, yes? Tsk, tsk, John, you must have been most disappointed in yourself, to know that you're such a resounding failure in life. Even when you disobeyed orders, you failed to save your men. Surely, you would have wanted to proof yourself more worthy this time when the Wraith threatened to kill your team, yes?"

"Oh? You m-mean when at other times, he also got t-them to beat me up and i-interrogate me?" Sheppard retorted back.

This statement seemed to surprise Rogunie. The man paused, obviously not expecting that. But the IOA representative recovered quickly.

"I see, but we are talking about the times when you thought your team's lives were in danger. So I ask you again, what did you tell the Wraith when it threatened to kill your team?"

Sheppard could feel heated anger spreading throughout his veins. He could also feel another flashback attack. Biting he lower lip, he tried to stop it from occuring but he knew he failed when he suddenly saw his team screaming in pain, asking him for help, begging him to help them. He tried to clasped his hands to his ears, but found that he couldn't because the handcuffs were in the way, so he squeezed his eyes shut trying to drown out their cries of pain instead.

"Nononononono!" he muttered harshly to himself, shaking his head adamantly.

"No what? John? Tell me, no what? No, you were wrong, that you actually told the Wraith what it wanted?"

"_No! I did NOT betray Atlantis!_" he opened his eyes and hollered the words at the IOA representative. He was breathing harshly now, trying to ease the pace of his rapidly beating heart as the dying screams of his team faded back into his mind.

"I already t-told you, I s-suspected they were _not _real, h-hallucinations brought up by the mind device. Do you need hearing aids, Rogunie? Perhaps I should get Dr Beckett loan you a set before we c-continue this further?!"

Once again, he saw a vein pop underneath Rogunie's left eye and his hand tightened into a fist. While the man might not outwardly show his anger, his sarcastic comeback was obviously having an impact on the guy. Sheppard suddenly felt better for it.

"But you see Sheppard, the problem is, I do _not _believe you."

Sheppard was calming down now and he gave his interrogator a thin smile. "That's y-your problem, but it's the truth. I wouldn't b-betray Earth or Atlantis, my team knows that. Besides, I knew that they w-were not my team." He lifted his head to stare back dully at the observation window above him.

He hated this. He hated having to defend himself to this man with the continous smug look on his face and his know-it-all attitude.

"Tell me Mr Rogunie, have you ever b-been to war? Have you ever been a p-prisoner of war?" he looked at the cold blue eyes that studied him intensely.

Rogunie shook his head in a condescending manner and the smile stretched his lips. "I believe that _I _am the one who is asking the questions here, John. So let's not divert the subject to me. Getting back _my _questions…,"

"You mean _interrogation_," Sheppard cut in, correcting the man before him.

"Excuse me?" Rogunie appeared startled but Sheppard could easily see through his deception.

Sheppard arched an eyebrow, "This … _is _an interrogation, isn't it? After all the IOA ordered me handcuffed, treated like a prisoner in my own city?"

There was no emotion on Rogunie's face now except for a smooth, cool smile pasted on his lips. Sheppard was becoming fed up with that cool smile; he wished he could to wipe it off with a solid punch to the face. While he was contemplating it, the isolation door slid open and Beckett walked in with Ronon by his side.

Rogunie turned around and stated pleasantly, "Ah, coming to check up on your patient, I see, doctor."

"Aye," Beckett replied. He gaze locked onto Sheppard, his tone gentle. "How are you doing colonel?"

Sheppard gave him a bitter smile. "Well enough for someone who is being interrogated by the IOA."

Beckett gave him a sympathetic look as he took out his medical bag and started to check on his respiration, temperature and blood pressure. The results didn't please him. The meeting with the IOA representative was making Sheppard's BP sky rocket. The bruised chest and fingerprint marks on Sheppard's collarbone he did not see due to the black t-shirt and shirt that the colonel had on. Frankly Sheppard wasn't about to mention them to the doctor as he didn't want to remove his clothes while Rogunie was still in the room. No way would he allow the IOA representative to see the Wraith marks on his chest.

However Beckett must have suspected something for he had witnessed the chokehold that Rogunie gave him.

"How's your neck, colonel? Any soreness?"

Sheppard shook his head. "I'm fine, he replied." In a way it was true; he felt no soreness on his neck and a few bruises he could handle. Maybe it was his damn pride, but he refused to show any weakness in front of Rogunie.

"You sure, colonel? Would you like to remove your shirt for…"

"_No,_" Sheppard replied fixedly even before Beckett could complete his sentence.

"Okay, lad," Beckett sighed, not appearing very happy about it, but allowing the colonel to have his way. He then went back to taking Sheppard's temperature again and as he waited for it to register, he turned to see what the Satedan was doing.

Ronon was currently eyeing the IOA representative in a threatening manner, but Rogunie simply ignored the Satedan as if he didn't exist. He sat where he was with his arms folded together and a condescending smile pasted on his face the entire time.

"Your fever still hasn't gone down, lad. Would you like to take a break?" Beckett asked as he gave Sheppard another antibiotic shot. He wondered whether the colonel needed another stimulant shot to go with that. Sheppard was perspiring and he looked sick, weary and exhausted. There was a haunted look in his hazel-green eyes and a slight tremor in his body. _Post traumatic stress_, the words came into his mind. This interrogation wasn't doing the colonel any good either. The physician didn't wait for the pilot's reply, instead he turned to Rogunie. "Colonel Sheppard needs a break. As you can see, he isn't well."

Rogunie stared at Sheppard, his eyes never leaving his face. In all this time he had not looked at Beckett even once. "Oh I believe that Sheppard can handle this. Besides, don't you want this over and done with John, hmmm? Give him a shot to keep him going, doctor; I will not stop this meeting purely because the colonel is feeling a little _poorly_." He used Sheppard's rank on purpose this time and dragged the last word in a high pitched tone to imply insult.

Sheppard glared back at Rogunie, his eyes narrowing in stubbornness and anger as perspiration broke out from his forehead to drip into his eyes. Beckett frowned, he didn't like where this was going. "As Colonel Sheppard's medical practitioner, I must protest. You can continue you interrogation later, right now the lad needs a break."

"_No_," Rogunie replied, turning cold blue eyes to stare for the first time at the physician. "The questioning session isn't over yet. If you don't leave us by the time I finish counting to ten, doctor, I shall see that you are removed from being Chief Medical Officer here."

Ronon took a step closer as if he was about to hit the guy. However Carson held out a forestalling hand. Carson bristled; he did not take kindly to threats especially when the well being of his patients were affected. First the IOA threatened to remove Elizabeth from her post if she didn't comply to their wishes and now _him?_ Who were these people to resort to bullying tactics? This situation was becoming way out of hand. He folded his arms together and was ready to stand up for himself when he heard Weir's voice speak over the room's intercom.

_"Mr Rogunie, do I have to warn you again? This wasn't want we agreed upon. You assured us that should Colonel Sheppard need medical help, he would receive it."_

Rogunie turned his gaze back to the colonel, not taking his eyes off from him. "Ah, Dr Weir, I _am _keeping to my word, am I not? I allowed Dr Beckett in to treat Sheppard. Nothing was said about taking the detainee out from the room," the IOA representative countered. "No breaks Weir, Sheppard is having no breaks. I'm afraid I must insist."

_"Then I'm afraid I must put a stop to this, Rogunie."_

"I'm afraid you don't have the authority, Dr Weir. If you do, your position is forfeit and your command goes temporarily to me."

Sheppard finally spoke up. "Elizabeth, Carson, I'm all r-right. Just give me another stimulant shot doc, and I'll b-be okay."

Sheppard's words concerned Beckett. He could damn well see that Sheppard _wasn't _all right. "Are you crazy, son? You need to rest, your body's still suffering from a fever and that damn device implanted in your chest. What you _don't _need is more drugs in ya."

Sheppard had the courtesy to nod and he took a weary swallow. "Yeah doc, but I prefer this to be over and done with first." The pilot did not look at Carson when he spoke those words but instead at Rogunie.

_"You sure about this, John?"_

"Yeah, I'm s-sure, Elizabeth."

Sheppard still wanted to resolve this if it could be resolved in non-violence and where Elizabeth and Carson did not lose their jobs over it. To run now with his tail tugged in between his legs wasn't in John Sheppard's rule book. Plus it would make him look guilty as hell. The sooner this fiasco was over, the sooner he could make plans about meeting up with Lf'wyne.

Rogunie smirked. "There you go, doctor, now please do as Sheppard instructed and leave before I call security to have you and your ape friend here forcibly removed."

Ronon growled, looked like he was about to remove his blaster when Sheppard commanded, "Ronon… _no_." Because of his respect for Sheppard, it took all of the Satedan's self-control not to shoot the smug look off Rogunie's face.

Beckett also wasn't happy that the interrogation was going to continue. He sighed, removed the spare stimulant shot that he kept in his medical bag and injected it into Sheppard's arm. "I hope you know what you're doing, son," he whispered the words softly to Sheppard.

Sheppard closed his eyes and pursed his lips as he felt the surge of energy take effect almost immediately. As Carson was packing up his medical kit, the pilot opened his eyes to give Beckett a quiet look of gratitude. "Thanks doc," the words were whispered softly but it was heart felt.

Carson nodded, as he frowned at his patient. Damn the IOA! Sheppard was the last person in the world who deserved to be treated this way. "Don't thank me, son. Just be sure to holler out if you need help and we'll put an end to this debacle immediately."

Sheppard gave him a nod and a tight smile but didn't say anything else. As Carson moved to leave, Ronon suddenly rounded onto Rogunie, grabbing him by the front of his suit and pushing the IOA representative roughly on the wall.

"Ronon! Let him go!" Carson cried out.

Dex however stared eye to eye with Rogunie. "Harm a single hair on Sheppard again and I'll make sure you'll regret it." The Satedan threatened.

The IOA representative blinked, there was another twitch underneath the representative's left eye.

"I'll like to see you try, ape man," Rogunie replied calmly, giving the Satedan one of his impassive smiles.

_"Ronon, let the man go, this isn't helping matters," _Weir said over the intercom.

The Satedan gave another growl, turned to stare at Beckett and Sheppard before he abruptly released Rogunie, pushing him backwards. The action made the IOA representative lose his balance and stumble to the floor.

Without another word and a last glance back at Sheppard, the Satedan left the isolation ward.

"Good luck, Colonel," Beckett said as he followed Ronon out the door.

As the door sealed shut, Rogunie scrambled to his feet, straightening his hair and his clothes and coolly rearranged his tie back to its position again. He looked at Sheppard still seated at the table; the pilot was giving him an amused look. For the first time, Rogunie frowned. Clearing his throat he looked back at Sheppard. "Oh, you think that's funny, do you, John? Well, soon, you won't be laughing."

Sheppard didn't like the sound of that as he watched the IOA representative walk towards the door of the isolation ward. In his hand, the burly man removed something small from his pants pocket and placed it on the door itself. There was a slight beep sound and the device activated.

_"Rogunie, what are you doing?"_ Weir asked immediately, her tone sounding concerned and suspicious.

Rogunie lifted an eyebrow, "Oh? Just making sure that we are not disturbed again Dr Weir. I have authority from the IOA to do this, Weir. One visit from the good doctor is all I'm about to allow. Now shut up and let me do my job."

_"Mr Rogunie, while you might be the representative of the IOA, need I remind you that you do __not dictate what happens in my city,"_ Weir replied evenly putting the man in his place.

"I disagree, Dr Weir," Rogunie smoothly replied. "As I said before I have every authority to determine how Sheppard is to be questioned. It is why I am here." With those words he went to the intercom that broadcast Weir's voice to the room and switched it off. He also switched off the intercom that allowed the others to hear what they said.

He turned back to Sheppard with a sadistic smile. "There now, that should ensure that we remain uninterrupted for the rest of our session. And our conversations now can also be in private. They can see us but they cannot hear us."

The smile that he gave Sheppard made his blood run cold.

---

To be continued

AN: Hmm, maybe Ronon should have shot him when he got the chance?


	27. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

Thank you for your reviews everyone, the muses loved them. Gasp... I reached over 100,000 words count on this fic :-O (I think only a few more chapters to go).

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 34**

"Hey, hey, hey! Where do you think you're going?!" McKay asked Snacks as the little creature suddenly hopped out of his lap where he had placed it while working in his lab.

The little Talmera turned back and gave him a frantic squeak then hurried off under some tables. "Hey! Come back here, you little rascal! Scientific labs are no place for a little alien creature to run about!" McKay shouted dashing under the table to hunt for it. "I don't have _time _for this!"

Suddenly he saw Snacks hop onto one of the tables but before he was fast enough to catch it, it bounded up a steel cabinet and then onto another taller one. To his horror, he saw the little Talmera wiggle its way into a small ventilation shaft at the side of the top lab wall.

As he caught sight of the vanishing tail, he quickly ripped open a powerbar. "Snacks! Look what I've got for you!"

There was an excited squeak followed by a chirp. He saw a brown nose peeking out from the shaft as if tempted by the offer.

"Here.. is... it! Come... and... get it!" McKay said in a sing-song way as he held out the entire piece of powerbar as bait. He was certain he got the little critter now. However, much to his surprise, Snacks gave out another loud chirp, then it turned around and he heard scrambling sounds as its disappeared further into the ventilation shaft.

"Hey, hey! You're not meant to do that! Get back this instant!" Rodney yelled out. When he saw no sign of the little critter he cursed out loud and pulled at his hair in frustration. "Crap! Elizabeth is sooo going to _kill _me!"

He turned to look around, wondering what to do. "Okay, okay! First things first! Snacks will have to wait, let's just pray that it doesn't get into trouble or _Sheppard _is going to kill me!"

At his lab table, he saw the Wraith device that he just completed fixing. All he needed to do now was to somehow attach it to his computer. "Right, right. Take slow deep breaths, don't panic. First do what you came here to do, then worry about Snacks later."

So saying he went back to work on the said device, pulling his mind away from one rogue winged critter with a bandage on its wing.

---

Weir looked at the scene below her feeling shocked and angry. "I don't like this," she said to Caldwell who was standing next to her. "We should put a stop to this immediately."

Caldwell nodded. "I agree. Even for the IOA this is a little extreme for them. They might be, if you'd excuse my language ma'am, a pain in the ass, but it's not the way they work. If Rogunie doesn't want us to interfere, he should have still left the intercom on to allow us to listen in on their conversation. Rogunie is behaving more like a Trust agent than IOA. Can you see what he attached to the door?"

Weir frowned shaking her head. "No, it's too far away and too small. Do you really think he's works for the Trust?" she asked, looking worried now.

"It's a possibility, ma'am. I'll get someone on Daedalus to run a background check on Rogunie."

Weir nodded as she activated her radio. "Ronon? I think John's in trouble. Can you get back to the isolation ward and get Colonel Sheppard out of there immediately?"

"_About time!_" came the Satedan's response. "_Heading back there now._"

"Good, let us know when you get there," Weir replied.

A few minutes later, Dex's voice came over both Caldwell and Weir's radios. "_Dex here, the door's jammed. I can't open it._"

"Have you tried using your blaster?" Caldwell enquired.

"_Yeah, that was the first thing I tried," _replied Dex.

"Hang tight, Ronon, I'll get some security personnel to give you a hand," Caldwell said as he activated his own earpiece and spoke instructions to his men.

Weir's frown deepened as she hugged the sides of her arms. "I think you might be right, Caldwell, only a Trust agent would be able to get their hands on such technology capable of jamming our doors."

Caldwell nodded. "Which means that Sheppard is screwed."

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip. "That we already know."

"Can we not blast our way through the viewing windows and get to the room from there?" Teyla asked, coming towards them.

"No, the windows are bullet proof and double glazed. We needed the room secured for the isolation ward in the unlikely event of a prisoner obtaining a weapon," Weir explained.

"I see, so the door is the only viable access to John?" Teyla asked.

"At this moment, yes," Elizabeth replied.

"If that is the case, then I am going down to see if there is anything I can do to help Ronon out," Teyla said.

"I'll go with you," Caldwell added. Before he left he turned to Elizabeth, "Dr Weir, you may want to keep us up-to-date about what's happening inside that room."

Elizabeth pursed her lips together and nodded. "I'll also get in touch with Rodney, perhaps he can figure out a way to open the door."

---

There were sounds of dull banging and blaster shots on the other side of the thick metal door. Rogunie smiled and ignored them. "Looks like your friends are trying to get in again, John. But they will not be successful; the device I placed there will prevent them from opening the door. It's shielded and imprinted to my DNA. Nobody will be able to remove it except me."

"What's the p-purpose of this?" Sheppard demanded. The lights in the room seemed too bright and he was perspiring heavily. He wished that he had allowed Beckett to take him to the infirmary while he had the chance.

"Why, to get the truth out of you, of course," Rogunie replied none too pleasantly.

"Now," he sat himself down in front of Sheppard again. "Let me see, what were we discussing before we were so rudely interrupted? Ah yes, the purpose of why you're here." He waved his hand in the room.

Rogunie smiled and it wasn't a pleasant smile.

"You are right, John," he said sweetly, "This _is _an interrogation. I'm here to be certain that you haven't been compromised. Convince me that you aren't, John, because from where I'm sitting at the moment, you're as guilty as hell."

Sheppard's eyes hardened. "Whatever happened to the c-concept of innocent until proven guilty?" He knew now that he was talking to someone who couldn't be reasoned with.

"I believe that we don't have the luxury of that here. Perhaps I haven't made myself clear. I believe that you have already been compromised, that you're a danger to Atlantis and to all humanity in general. All I need to do is make you admit it." A sadistic look appeared in Rogunie's face.

"Why?" Sheppard asked, frowning now.

"As evidence that I have done my job of course," Rogunie replied as he brought out a small recording device.

"One thing you n-need to know about me Rogunie, I will never admit to s-something that I haven't done. I'm afraid you're w-wasting your time."

"We shall see Sheppard, we shall see…. Now…," He stood up now and circled Sheppard with his hand clasped behind his back like a stern headmaster. "I have studied the medical report concerning your condition when you arrived back in Atlantis. I understand that you had been fed upon and that your life had been miraculously restored again. Tell me, John, why did the Wraith restore your life after feeding on you?"

"He didn't… and I _didn't _betray Atlantis."

"Come now John, lying doesn't become you. All can see that you have not aged in any way and yet we know that you were fed upon. I think you gave the Wraith what it wanted, and it gave you back your life as part of the bargain. You made a deal with the enemy, John. _You betrayed us!_" The last words were said loudly in an accusing tone.

"That was a d-different wraith, it was Kolya's wraith that helped me escape," Sheppard finally revealed what he had been reluctant to tell the IOA representative. More sweat broke out from him, his gut clenched in pain, he suddenly felt sick, sicker than normal. He felt something tickle down his nose but he ignored it.

"What?" the man before him paused. "Kolya's wraith?"

"If you've read my file, you should know a-all about him," Sheppard replied dryly.

"Ah, yes, the Wraith who gave you back your life the first time when you and it were imprisoned together. Come now, John, do you really _expect _me to believe that?"

"Guess I was lucky."

Rogunie scoffed loudly, his face hardening. "You must believe me a fool, Sheppard. What are the chances of you meeting up with the same wraith who gave you the Gift of Life the first time? What would you call that?"

"Coincidence? Fate?" was Sheppard's comeback. Something wet dropped onto his hand. He looked down at it and stared, feeling puzzled, wondering where the drops of blood were coming from.

"Your nose is bleeding," Rogunie stated casually, looking at him with contempt in his eyes. "Do you get nose bleeds often, John?"

Sheppard stared at the blood suddenly realising what was happening. No wonder the pounding at the door was now sounding frantic. He could barely sense the presence of the other Wraith. He stared up dully at the IOA representative. He felt like kicking himself for thinking that he could do this, for thinking that he could reason with the man.

"I have to get out of here. You have to let me go _now_," he stated the words determinedly. He knew he was asking the wrong man, but he had to try anyway.

As expected, Rogunie stared at him incredulously. "What makes you think I would do that? I want a confession out from you first, John. Tell me what you told the Wraith that captured you? What did you bargain in return for you life?!"

"Nothing! I t-told you dammit, _nothing!_" he gritted out the words, feeling a rise of frustration. He knew that he didn't have much time; that he was _running _out of time.

"Well, then," Rogunie crossed his arms together, "then I'm afraid we're just going to sit here until you do."

"You don't understand…" Sheppard hissed out the words through clenched teeth. "I must leave now before it's too late."

A small frown formed on Rogunie's forehead. He leaned forward slowly. "Why?"

Sheppard hated to say the words, "Because I'm dying."

---

McKay stared at the computer monitor in front of him in shock, unable to believe what it was showing him.

"Oh God," he whispered the words, trying to tear his eyes away from the screen but unable to do. He gulped down suddenly and tried to remember to continue breathing. He felt sick to the stomach. Suddenly his ear piece beeped, startling him.

"W-what?!" he replied a little harshly.

"_Rodney? You all right?" _He heard Weir's voice speaking on the other side sounding concerned.

He gulped again. "Yeah.., yeah, I'm fine. Listen, I need to speak to you, I think I found…"

"_It has to wait,_" Weir cut him off. "_We need your help, Rodney. Rogunie has jammed the door to the isolation ward locking him and John inside. We can't get it open, and I think…" _Weir worried voice stopped suddenly. "_Hang on... I have Beckett on the other line …_"

There was a brief pause, as if she was hearing a report from someone else, then she whispered the disturbing words, _"Oh god… no…_"

"Elizabeth, what is it?" McKay asked, feeling his heart rate accelerate, not liking the sound of this one bit.

"Carson has just received a call from ICU; it seems our Wraith prisoner has just gone into cardiac arrest, they're trying to revive it as we speak. Beckett's gone to help…."

"Shit!" Rodney cursed, knowing that if the Wraith died, Sheppard was dead man too. "I _knew _we should have fed Rogunie to that Wraith!" Swiftly, he switched off his computer monitor, unplugged the device, grabbed his tablet PC and dashed off as fast as he could to the isolation ward.

---

To be continued


	28. Chapter 35

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
** by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 35**

Rogunie suddenly reached across the small table and grabbed Sheppard by the tuft of his hair, pulling him forward to face him. "You're lying!" he gritted harshly. "Sure, you're unwell, anyone in their right minds can see that, but you're _hardly_ dying. I understand that Atlantis has a Wraith here that's keeping you alive. Interesting won't you say? I believe that you have some trick up your sleeve and I'm going to find out what it is."

But this time Sheppard was ready for him and he instinctively reacted. He knew that he had to act fast before his strength failed him. The stimulant that Beckett had given him was helping him in addition to his body's adrenalin surge. He twisted himself free, swung his arms backwards and lunged forward, swinging both cuffed hands like a barrelling fist straight into the left side of the IOA representative's face. As his fists connected with Rogunie's face he saw a tooth go flying from the IOA's mouth at the impact. The punch also sent Rogunie tumbling backwards into his chair which unbalanced the chair sending it slamming loudly onto the floor with the IOA agent still in it, legs flailing in the air.

Ignoring Rogunie now, Sheppard made a run towards the door, hoping to remove the strange alien device there, forgetting what the IOA representative told him about it. However, as soon as his fingers touched it, it gave out a loud warning buzz and an energy beam ran up his arms and coursed through his entire body. An instant later, Sheppard found himself flying backwards to hit the cold floor hard before darkness enfolded him and he knew nothing more.

---

"Dammit! How in the world did you allow this to happen?!" McKay ranted. "I leave you guys alone to watch the interrogation and you allowed Sheppard to be locked in the room with that psycho?!"

McKay then looked at the burnt wires of the door's control panel and stared at them in aghast. "And what the _hell_ happened here?"

"I shot it when the door refused to open," explained the Satedan.

Rodney turned a flustered pink face to glare at his team mate. "You did what?! Oh, just brilliant! I'm living with idiots!" He rolled his eyes and waved his hands in the air in exasperation.

"Calm down, McKay, I would have done the same thing," Caldwell replied coming to Ronon's defence.

"_Calm down?!_ You're asking me to _calm dow_n?! Sheppard might be dying in there and you're asking me to _calm down_? Besides shooting the door panel only works in the movies, if we shoot at the control panel, it probably damages it further thereby not allowing me to figure out a way to fix the damn thing!"

"So, what can we do, Rodney?" Teyla asked, her voice displaying her concern.

"And panicking now isn't going to help Sheppard out either," Caldwell added.

"What?! I'll have you know…" McKay lifted his head to argue back when Teyla spoke up again, placing a reassuring hand on the agitated scientist's shoulder.

"Colonel Caldwell's correct, Rodney. Do what you can, every moment counts. I have faith in your ability and John is counting on us to help him." Her calm voice and reassuring manner had the desired effect on the scientist.

"Right, right," McKay replied as he turned his attention back to the control panel, scowling at it. "First, I'll have to fix the damage and then figure it out from there."

"_Hurry, Rodney! Oh God, John just tried to make a break for it. He punched Rogunie and tried to remove the device on the door, but it emanated a bright light that flung him half way across the room._" Weir's worried voice informed them.

"Is he injured?" Caldwell asked in concern, as he watched the Satedan aim a violent kick at the door, cursing loudly at the same time. It was followed quickly by a fist slamming hard on said door in angry frustration.

"Rogunie is a dead man!" Dex growled.

"_Don't know but he's not moving, I think he might be stunned. Rodney, you need to hurry!_" Weir added.

"Additional pressure _NOT _helping!" McKay yelled back into his radio, his face red with worry and frustration.

---

_Sheppard seemed to float in some strange white clouds. _

"_This is different... Am I dead?" he silently wondered. _

"_Ah, no, I brought you here, Sheppard," came Lf'wyne's disembodied voice in the world of clouds._

"_So, no golden wheat field this time?" he asked, trying to see through the floating white mists. _

_The Wraith chuckled. A shadowy form slowly revealed itself and he saw his Wraith friend approaching him. "I sensed your pain, Sheppard. Why are you not at our meeting place? This is the third day, soon I must go."_

"_What?" Sheppard frowned. That didn't make sense; he had assumed that perhaps a day had passed since he had received the message about the meeting. As he tried to figure it all out, he recalled that he hadn't actually asked his team how long he had slept after he awoke. The IOA representative's arrival had distracted him and he had made an assumption when he shouldn't have. He now realised that his mistake could cost him his life._

"_Crap!" he whispered in frustration, knowing that the odds were stacking up against him. "Listen, can you wait for me a little longer?" He didn't really want to go into any details._

_The Wraith frowned. "Is there anything I can do to help?"_

"_No, just be there when I get there, okay?"_

_He felt the reptilian eyes scrutinising him further before looking disturbed. "Alas, I cannot give you my word this time, Sheppard. My Hive waits for me and I have already waited here for three days. If my Hive Queen requests for my return, I cannot disobey her. Already, she was more than generous to allow me to do leave on this quest even though I have not informed her of my purpose. I told her that it was a personal matter. I have not told her about you, Sheppard, only about the outcome of my mission." Lf'wyne paused as it looked at Sheppard once again, before almost seeming to sigh. "I shall be here, Sheppard, but if I am called, I must go."_

_Sheppard understood before nodding. "I understand. Wait as long as you can, Lf'wyne. I'll be there."_

_Lf'wyne smiled. "I hope you are right, my brother."_

"_Hey, come on, don't be so negative!"_

_The Wraith widened its smile. "Ah, so you keep telling me, Sheppard." However, its eyes narrowed as it scrutinised Sheppard further. "But I sense that you are in great pain, your condition deteriorates. You must go now Sheppard - otherwise you may not have enough strength to get to our meeting place."_

_Sheppard breathed a halting breath and nodded. "Yeah, I know." _

_He closed his eyes and felt himself being pulled back to another world far away, a floating City in the sea... _

---

Sheppard returned to consciousness in phrases. Sight returned first before sound. Opening his eyes, he stared up at the ceiling above him wondering where he was. Everything felt numb and he knew that he had been stunned. He couldn't move much, so he stared up at the cream-white ceiling ahead, noticing a square iron barred shaft a few paces to the left from where he was lying. He knew that it was one of the many air ducts providing fresh air to the isolation ward and to other areas in Atlantis.

Looking at it, he observed movement inside it and to his surprise saw a pair of beady eyes blinking down at him. He stared at it, wondering why the ventilation shaft had eyes. It took his confused mind a moment to recognise that the pair of eyes actually belonged to Snacks. It must be scurrying about in Atlantis' air ventilation system. He marvelled at how it got up there in the first place, but figured that it must have escaped from Rodney's care and come looking for him. He wondered how it knew that he was in trouble. Perhaps it had more dog-like instincts instead of a cat, for some canines had the uncanny ability to sense whenever their owners were in trouble or when danger was present. He always preferred dogs to cats anyway, and the thought pleased him. However, thinking about danger, reminded him of his current predicament and memory of what happened returned harshly. He remembered being hit by whatever shield that emanated from that alien device. His ears were still ringing and he was feeling quite disoriented from the stun that he had received. He would have never imagined how something so small could pack such a punch.

From centre of the room, he heard the sound of amused laughter. Forcing himself to turn his aching head, he saw the blurred image of Rogunie brushing off the dirt and wrinkles from his pinstripe suit. From the IOA representative's actions, he deduced that not much time had actually passed in the real world. The dream he had of Lf'wyne must have taken but a few heartbeats in real time. The stun he received must have not knocked him out for long, which he supposed was a good thing.

"I told you Sheppard, weren't you listening? That device has been imprinted to my DNA; it wouldn't work for anyone else. Anyone foolish enough to try to remove it leads to … well, you've experience its effects first hand." Gone was Rogunie's calm demeanour. The look that that the burly man shot at him was not comforting.

Rogunie fingered his broken front tooth and frowned darkly. He did not look happy at loosing a tooth. Blazing blue eyes glared his way again. "Oh, you're so going to regret this, John. Do you know how hard it is to have perfect teeth?"

"I think the new look s-suits you…" Sheppard groaned out weakly, trying to get up now but finding that his limps still refused to work properly. He could only turn his head at the moment. From previous experience of being stunned, he knew that the numbness wouldn't last. He was already starting to feel the pins and needles sensation; he just had to wait a while then he'll have more command over his body.

"You _do _know that that mouth of yours will get you into trouble one day, don't you, John?" Rogunie replied as he sat up, getting ready to rise. "Well, looks like it's your lucky day, cos that day has finally arrived. I have been given every authority to get the information out from you using any means possible. And after the stun that you just pulled I would say that I have sufficient excuse for the action I'm about to take."

Rogunie was now showing his true colours - no longer hiding under polite words. The threat that he gave Sheppard was blatantly obvious.

"I didn't think the IOA s-sanctioned torture," Sheppard stated, he could not believe what he was hearing. This had to be some sick joke. Would the IOA go so far as to resort to torture? Even Sheppard found that a little extreme and difficult to believe. After all, they were all on the same side here. Had he just survived torture in the hands of the wraith only to be tortured by the IOA?

"Perhaps not, but then let's say that I represent the interest of another party that is very interested in seeing you hung up to dry, John. We prefer to elect one of our own to be in charge of Atlantis' military contingent."

The pins and needles sensation over Sheppard's body was increasing. The stun he had received was a mild one; he knew that he would be able to move soon.

"I don't b-believe that Caldwell is working for you." Sheppard frowned.

"Oh, he isn't. But his actions, you might say, are a little more predictable than yours, Sheppard. Besides, his role as military commander of Atlantis will be temporary and he'll be assigned back to the Daedalus once we get one of our own people to take over your role. You see, John, there are many people on Earth who are not happy that you are the military leader of this expedition. But tsk, tsk, now we're diverting off topic. Let's just say that once you find yourself rotting somewhere in a cell back on Earth, we'll arrange for a little 'accident'. After all, you have the Ancient gene, John. Think about the amazing things we could learn from your body."

Everything was out in the open now. "So, you work f-for the Trust?"

"The Trust does have an interest in this." Rogunie replied smoothly as he stood up.

"I'll never a-admit guilt," Sheppard stated again.

Rogunie shrugged as he approached his prisoner closer. "That's too bad. Because it would have made things so much easier for you. Now I'll have to resort to harsher methods and I'm afraid that the results will be much more painful for you. You see, if you're in a coma, you can't serve aboard Atlantis can you now, hmm?"

Sheppard found that he could move again, which was a small blessing because right now, he knew that he needed to get his ass out of there pronto. Looking up at the observation window, he saw Weir's form looking down at him in concern. From the noises outside, he knew that his team was trying to get to him; he just needed to hang on long enough until help arrived.

"What the hell?!" he heard Rogunie suddenly say.

Turning back to look at the blond haired man, he was surprised to find Rogunie rubbing and slapping at wet sizzling spots that was ruining his perfectly laundered suit. In fact he was also rubbing at his hair and face quite frantically. There was a soft hissing sound above him and Sheppard suddenly realised that Rogunie was standing directly under Snacks. Currently, the Talmera was doing an impressive spitting job at the man below it. Startled, Rogunie scrambled away from the ventilation shaft above him and out range of the little Talmera's acid spits, before looking upwards at the Snacks in shock.

"What the hell is that?!" he gasped out while rubbing his face and hair with a hankerchief before moving the cloth to his now ruined suit.

Sheppard couldn't stop the chuckle from forming. When Rogunie glared at him, he remembered the Satedan's words and stated, "That Snacks and it spits!"

Rogunie's eyes narrowed and Sheppard knew that he was in serious trouble when he saw the rage building in the man. Rogunie next words confirmed it as much.

"That's it, Sheppard, no more games. I am going to end this now!"

---

"_Rodney, how's it going?_" Weir's urgent voice suddenly came over the radio.

"Less interruptions would be good!" McKay voiced out his irritation while still frantically trying to fix the door's panel and get it to open.

"Elizabeth, how is John?" Teyla asked as she activated her radio, clearly worried about what was happening in the room beyond.

"_John seems to be waking up now," _Weir's voice informed them.

"That is good news," Teyla observed with a relieved smile.

"_Yes, but wait… Rogunie's approaching him; he appears to be speaking to John." _There was a pause, then, _"Oh, now that's strange…._"

"What? What's strange?" McKay asked, temporary looking up from what he was doing.

"_Rogunie, he's jumping about, slapping himself as if there's something dripping on him. Wait, I see wet smoky spots on his suit. Oh, I think it's something leaking from the ventilation shaft above him... I can't see what it is from where I am._"

McKay paused and tapped his earpiece. "Elizabeth, did you say ventilation shaft?" he asked wide eyed. _No, it couldn't be could it?_

"_Yes, whatever it is, it's ruining Rogunie's suit, almost like acid drops or something._"

"Oh god, Snacks!" he gasped out, feeling something akin to hope flaring.

"Excuse me?" Caldwell asked in puzzlement.

"_Snacks? I thought you got it locked up securely in your quarters, Rodney._" Weir stated a little exasperatedly.

"Yes, well… err…, I took the little critter with me to my lab as I didn't want it to be lonely and well, it kinda escaped. But… whoa!" he suddenly snapped his fingers, "I got it! It must have somehow sensed that Sheppard was in trouble and tried to go and help him."

"Will someone _please _tell me who or what the _hell _is Snacks?!" Caldwell demanded getting a little impatient now. Teyla placed a hand on his forearm and said, "It is a long story, Colonel Caldwell. We will explain it to you later."

Dex in the meantime paused from trying to break down the metal door. A slow grin formed on his face as he turned to look at McKay and the others. "I think I like Snacks," he muttered. "Acid spits and all."

"Yes! Yes!" McKay stated, beaming widely now, "It must be Snacks spitting at our friend Rogunie! Ha! Serve that SOB right!"

"_Well, whatever it is, it's seemed to have gotten Rogunie pretty riled up." _Weir's voice sounded more concerned. _"Is that door ready to be opened yet, Rodney? I don't like how that madman is eyeballing John."_

McKay suddenly realised that he had paused in what he was doing. He turned back and began to work frantically at the damaged control panel again. "I might be a genius here, but I'm _not _superman! Listen, why can't Snacks get out of the ventilation shaft? Its acid spits might be able to buy us more time!"

There was a pause and McKay heard typing sounds over his earpiece as if Elizabeth was accessing the schematics of Atlantis, then, "_It can't as according to what I'm reading here, it has thick iron bars surrounding the shaft. They're placed closer together than the rest of our less-secured ventilation tunnels. They're too small for Snacks to get through them._"

"Damn it!" McKay cursed, his mind trying to think up of another plan. "I don't think I'll be able to get the panel door open for a while yet, and by then it might be too late for Sheppard. We have to come up with another plan."

"What about using Daedalus?" Caldwell stated suddenly.

An idea formed and McKay's eyes widened when he saw what the Daedalus commander was getting at. "Yes, yes! Wait, it is fixed?" At Caldwell's nod, he stared at the man in exasperation. "Dammit! Why didn't we think of this before?!"

Caldwell bit his bottom lip and shook his head as he activated his radio and said urgently, "I need to speak to Hermiod."

---

With a force of will, Sheppard somehow managed to get his half stunned body moving sluggishly again. He found himself back on his feet with the wall behind him supporting his back. He still felt woozy and every inch of his body was still tingling as a result of the stun blast that he had received from the small alien device attached to the door.

He did not think he had strength to stand up against Rogunie but he knew that he had to try. Overhead, he heard Snacks chirping in agitation as it tried in vain to squeeze its way through the bars of the ventilation shaft but couldn't.

---

"Say good bye, John," Rogunie uttered as he came at the colonel at a run, his hand bunched into a tight fist swinging it back and aiming for the side of Sheppard's temple. He put all his force into it and intended the blow to be a crippling one, perhaps one that would be enough to cause brain damage and sent Sheppard into a coma.

However, before he reached Sheppard, a white light enveloped the colonel's entire form. It happened too fast and he could not stop his forward momentum in time before his fist slammed violently onto the wall where Sheppard had been in standing a heartbeat ago. Pain exploded as he heard the sound of breaking bones as his fingers shattered against a solid wall.

Rogunie opened his mouth and screamed in agony and rage. He cradled his injured hand close to his chest and yelled out the name of his escaped prey at the top of his lungs in angry frustration, "_Sheppppaaarrd!!!_"

He knew then that someone had just beamed John Sheppard out from the isolation ward.

---

To be continued

Some author ramblings

I know that most of you thought that good ol' Snacks was going to save the day and rescue Sheppard again! But that would have been too cliché, no? However, most of you guessed correctly, it did go and try to help Sheppard out as it sensed that our hero was in danger. Perhaps it has ultra sharp hearing, and Sheppard's voice carried through the ventilation shafts connecting the city, who knows. In my original draft version, I got carried away and had Snacks spiting and then turning around and taking a dump on Rogunie. Hee! However, I removed Snacks dropping poo bombs on Rogunie as I felt that that was way too cliché and was turning this story more like a cartoon. Having one over-the-top-evil character is bad enough; I don't think we needed something as crazy as poo dropping Snacks in the mix! (laughs)

Which brings us back to Rogunie. I understand that some of you are wondering why Rogunie is represented as that typical villainous character with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I know, very cliché, but as I have to leave for a trip this month (where I'll be away for a while), I'm afraid I don't have the time to develop him as a more rounded villain even though I originally wanted to. Sorry! (This version of Rogunie was probably inspired a little by Sylar from NBC's Heroes – an evil dude that I simply can't stand - so sweet mouthed and hypocritical when he wants to be but pure, pure evil.)

In truth, this was one area that I was concerned about as my original intention was _not _to create him this way. If I had more time available I would have probably gone for more character depth. However, it was either a shortened version or no ending at all – so I chose the lesser of the two evils. As it is, I'm still a little concerned whether I will have time to give this tale the end it deserves.

But I diverge, back to the topic at hand. In my original plot, the interrogation scenes were meant to be longer, with more intense psychological trauma where we actually see Sheppard's slow mental and physical decline as he gets interrogated (without physical violence from Rogunie who is meant to be a true IOA representative and not a Trust agent). In the process, we also see Rogunie experience some internal conflict the more he gets to know Sheppard. As time passes, he soon starts to hate himself and what he is being forced to do, but he continues to do his job anyway despite his internal conflict. Ultimately, he gets to see the light when Sheppard's team convinces him to stop before he destroys Sheppard entirely. I think this version would be a lot darker, but in a way, it might also detract the story a little away from what this story really is about, which is Sheppard's relationship with the friendly Wraith. However, in the interrogation, the focus and talk will be a lot about that Wraith in particular, so maybe not.

But due to the lack of time, I decided to go with the shorter version. Here, I decided to create a villain that we all love to hate by gathering attributes that I thought might be most annoying and lumping them in Rogunie. I'm aware that some of you might be disappointed with this version, but what I really liked about this is the fact that the action is quite continuous, therefore, the story goes at a faster pace. But the main purpose of making Rogunie so evil is to create a sense of urgency and to allow Caldwell the opportunity to redeem himself when he saves Sheppard by getting Hermiod to beam him out of the isolation ward. Of course, we also get the satisfaction of seeing Rogunie getting his ass kicked at the end. Hee! In this version, you will also get an explanation why Rogunie turned out the way he did – that is, before the story ends which will hopefully make up for it why he is so screwed (I know the reason why, but just I hope to remember to write it down when I do finally get to writing that part! Hah!)

So anyway, so there you have it. Now, I have some questions for you. Which version would you have preferred? Longer darker version or shorter more 'actiony' version that we currently have. Lastly, did you guess the solution to rescue Sheppard? Feel free to add whatever comments you wish, I don't mind, I just love hearing what you guys think and thanks to all who contributed to a review in the last chapter.


	29. Chapter 36

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

_Thank you for all your comments and for answering my questions. A little Talmera is being sent your way. :)_

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 36**

When Sheppard suddenly materialized to find himself standing in the infirmary, his legs immediately gave way and he felt Beckett and a nurse move swiftly to catch him before he hit the floor. However, he could not stop a hiss of pain from escaping his lips when an unsuspecting hand caught his injured rib the wrong way.

Beckett frowned, instantly repositioned his hand as he gently guided Sheppard to one of the empty infirmary beds. "Easy there, Colonel. Lie down now while I do a full examination on ya. Why didn't you tell me that you had a cracked rib, lad? Did that bastard Rogunie do that to ya?"

Sheppard bit his lip and closed his eyes, feeling relieved and exhausted at the same time. "Yeah… and t-thanks," he muttered a bit breathlessly, "… for getting me o-out of there."

Beckett activated his radio. "This is Carson, I've got Colonel Sheppard safely in the infirmary," he informed the others. He paused obviously listening to those speaking on the other side. "Aye, Elizabeth, I'll inform the Colonel that Rogunie is currently having a happy time trapped in the isolation ward. Oh, did he hurt his hand now, punching into a wall? Well, served the daft bugger right, I say we leave him there for a while to contemplate his actions. No, Rodney…, Sheppard doesn't appear to have suffered serious injury, only a cracked rib and some bruises, so tell the others not to worry. Oh and Colonel Caldwell, please send someone down to the infirmary immediately with the keys to remove the bloody handcuffs from my patient."

Sheppard didn't open his eyes but a wry smile formed on his lips as he listened to Beckett's words. When the doctor finished speaking, he turned his attention back to him.

"Well now, laddie, looks like you've got your team worrying about you. But it's not _me_ you should be thanking, but Rodney and Caldwell. It was their idea to use Daedalus' transport beam to get you out of there."

"T-took them long enough…" he sighed, wishing he could sleep forever but knowing that he couldn't afford to. A small frown formed, he could sense that the other Wraith was still alive. He felt slightly stronger now and his nose bleed seemed to have stopped.

"How's t-the Wraith?" He opened his eyes to look at Beckett.

"How did you know that the Wraith was in … Oh, of course, you would have felt it," Beckett guessed as he took out a BP cuff and placed it on the bed while he tried to attach Sheppard to some IV lines. He paused and frowned darkly when he saw that Sheppard's handcuffs were in the way. "Bloody hell, what's taking Major Lorne so long to get here?! I understood from Caldwell that he's not far from the infirmary!"

Just as he finished speaking, the young major arrived, looking slightly out of breath as if he had been running the entire way. "Sorry, Dr Beckett. But I tried to get here as fast as I could!"

Beckett moved away so that Lorne could unlock the cuffs. "Glad to see that you're all right, sir. I'm also pleased to get these off you, sir," Lorne said as he unlocked the cuffs and removed them from Sheppard's wrists.

"So a-am I, Major," Sheppard replied wryly, feeling relieved.

Lorne nodded and promptly left to allow Carson to treat his patient.

Becket smiled at Sheppard, attaching the IV lines back on his patient's wrist before replying to the colonel's earlier question concerning the Wraith. "The Wraith is still alive. It went into cardiac arrest but we managed to get its heart started again. However, the chance of its survival doesn't look good, which means…"

"I'm a dead man…" Sheppard stated bluntly, squeezing his eyes shut. He had to leave now. He needed a Puddle jumper and access to the Stargate. He needed to meet up with Lf'wyne before it was too late. If only he didn't feel like crap and his head wasn't pounding so badly that it felt like he had a jackhammer drilling a hole into his brain. He knew that he was still woozy and he wasn't sure that his legs would hold him. The effects of the stun he had received earlier obviously hadn't quite worn off yet. He also wondered about Snacks, hoping that the little critter would be able to find its way out of the ventilation system and back to them somehow.

He felt a hand touch his upper arm and he automatically flinched. The hand instantly removed itself as if the doctor understood the cause of his reaction.

"Sorry lad, but I need to check your blood pressure," Beckett stated gently, this time giving him ample warning before placing his hand on Sheppard again to attach the BP cuff around his upper arm. It didn't take long for him to feel the pressure in the BP cuff gripping his arm tightly as the doctor began to pump the cuff before releasing the pressure to get the readings.

"Hmm, I don't like the look of your pressure, lad." Once the reading was done, the cuff was swiftly removed. "Do ya mind taking off ye shirt for me? I need to check on your ribs."

When Sheppard didn't move, he could sense the concern radiating from Beckett. "Colonel Sheppard? Are you feeling all right? Nurse Amy, why don't you help the Colonel remove his shirt?"

"No!" he suddenly gulped, opening his eyes. "_No time! _I ... n-need to leave now, before it's too late."

Beckett frowned. "Leave? Lad, you're not making any sense. What are ye yammering about? Rest easy, son. You're safe, with Rogunie trapped in the isolation ward, he can't hurt you. We'll make sure that he doesn't have the opportunity to harm you and to hell with the consequences of his threats. What he did to ye was uncalled for. So don't worry, we'll take care of you."

"No! You don't ... u-understand!" Sheppard said as he opened his eyes. "I've got to get b-back to Lf'wyne…"

"What are you talking about?" Beckett stated with another frown. "Whose Lf'wyne?"

At that moment McKay, Ronon and Teyla entered the infirmary. Teyla and Ronon greeted him with friendly but concerned smiles while Rodney bombarded him with questions. "Sheppard are you all right? Carson, are you sure he's all right? Did Rogunie hurt you? What did he want from you?"

"I'm f-fine, Rodney."

"Oh yeah, like we believe you. How is he, Carson? Really?" Rodney turned to Beckett, obviously wanting confirmation from the doctor himself.

"He's doing okay considering everything that he's been through. The Colonel currently has a cracked rib which I need to attend to."

"Rogunie did that to him?" Dex asked with a dark look.

"Hey g-guys… _he _is right _h-here_," Sheppard stated a little annoyed that he was being spoken about as if he wasn't there.

"Sorry Colonel," Beckett turned back to him. "Now are you going to allow me to examine your chest?"

Sheppard considered the question. If he had to meet up with Lf'wyne, it would be better to get his ribs attended to. "Okay, but make i-it quick. There's s-something that I n-need to tell you guys, and there's n-not much time left."

---

With his ribs firmly bandaged now, Sheppard found himself sitting up on the infirmary bed with Beckett and his team watching him. Weir had arrived a few minutes ago and she had greeted him with a smile and apologised about Rogunie.

"I'm so sorry John," Weir said looking a little upset, "I didn't know what he was going to do to you, if I had known, I won't have allowed it."

"Hey, it's all right, Elizabeth. I k-know…. But listen, I need to t-tell you guys something important."

So now they waited for him to speak. Sheppard looked at them, wondering how to begin. Finally he took a deep breath and stated, "Look, I know that this is going to sound crazy, but I need to leave now. I know someone who might be able to help me but you guys got to trust me." He looked at Weir then. "I need Puddle jumper and access to the Stargate, I have to meet someone."

Weir frowned, not liking the sound of this. "Who, John?"

"Lf'wyne," he answered, his mind thinking back to the last dream message that he had. He looked at the time and he knew that he needed to leave now. Time was ticking away and he didn't have much time left.

"What? What the hell are you talking about, Sheppard? Whose Lf'wyne?" McKay demanded.

Sheppard looked at the astrophysicist. "The Wraith," he said, knowing how it sounded. At his answer, he saw the look of horror on McKay's face.

"Oh god, the IOA is correct, you've been brainwashed!" the scientist exclaimed.

Sheppard's frown darkened and he felt heated anger and frustration course through his veins. He hated having to explain about what had happened to him, he wished he didn't have to speak about it, but his anger forced out the words. "No damn it! I _haven't_ been b-brainwashed or compromised or lost it! It's Kolya's Wraith. The Wraith who h-helped me escape from Kolya's prison. It's the same Wraith who h-helped me back t-there on that wraith worshippers' world. It's the Wraith that gave me the Gift of Life, t-twice now! He's the r-reason why I'm sitting here, back in Atlantis, instead of r-rotting in some Wraith cell being e-experimented on and tortured!"

He saw McKay blanch at his words, paling and looking sick with horror shining in his blue eyes. For an instant, he thought the revulsion he saw there was because he had admitted allying himself to a Wraith, but when Rodney spoke, he realised that it wasn't the reason at all.

"Oh god, how could I forget that you were… _t-tortured_…" McKay stumbled over the last word.

Sheppard suddenly felt embarrassed. In the heat of his anger, he had inadvertently revealed something that he hadn't meant to, especially not to McKay who was always squeamish about such things. Painful blue eyes were staring back at him before a puzzled frown formed. "Hang on, Sheppard, did you just say _Kolya's _wraith? You mean your Wraith buddy that gave you the Gift of Life the first time?"

Sheppard scowled back at him. "Haven't y-you heard a word I've s-said, McKay? Yes. The s-same one," he replied. "He was in the same prison that I was in. He and Snacks helped me escape. He s-saved my ass. I would h-have been dead now if it wasn't for him! Look, I don't k-know how to say this and I know that it's n-not going to make a hell of a l-lot of sense, but Kolya's Wraith contacted me in a d-dream, he told me that he has i-information that would h-help me." He tried his damnedest to sound credible, to make McKay and the others believe what he was telling them.

There was stunned silence now and he looked up to see his team, Weir and Beckett looking at him as if they wondered whether he was nuts, gone around the bend, ready for the nut house.

Finally Beckett slammed shut his mouth and spoke gently to him. There was a look of pity in his eyes. "Colonel Sheppard, I don't know how to phrase this in a nicer way, but are you _sure_ it wasn't another hallucination implanted in your mind? I mean about Kolya's Wraith being there at all. After all, when we found you on that planet, you were delirious, suffering from a high fever. You attacked your own team, lad. In fact, you _still _have a fever that I'm not too happy about. This dream you had, it could be something that your mind made up just to help you cope."

Sheppard's face clouded over and for the first time since arriving back, he felt the black shadow of despair clutch at his heart. His team didn't believe him. They were looking at him as if he had lost it. He had suspected that his team might not believe him but in his heart he always held out the hope that he could convince them with the truth. He never really truly believed that his team would _not _believe him and the realisation hurt. It hurt a hell of a lot. He felt a tremor run through his body and he realised that it was shock, his body was reacting to shock because he had truly expected that somehow, despite how crazy his words sounded, that his team would back him up on this and believe him. He shoved the thoughts away as he closed his eyes and tried to compose himself, to calm himself down. _Damn it! Snap out of it, John. It's no big deal! So what if your team don't trust or believe you? You will just have to find a way to do this alone! _But despite trying to convince himself otherwise, he knew that it _was _a big deal. The trust of his team meant everything to him. To lose that trust had left him feeling devastated and empty.

"John? Are you all right?" He felt Teyla's hand touch him on his upper arm. He didn't expect it and he involuntarily flinched at the contact. He jerked his hand away, knowing that it looked like he was throwing a tantrum because they didn't believe him, but this time he didn't care. Rather that than to allow his team to see how the lack of trust had hurt his feelings. He had too much of that lately, even now he still could hear Rogunie's voice in his mind, accusing him of betraying Atlantis.

"Whoa wait!' Rodney suddenly stated. "I believe I have a way to prove whether Sheppard is telling us the truth, that is, whether Kolya's Wraith is a hallucination or not! In fact, it was what I meant to tell you earlier, Elizabeth. Remember the Wraith implant that we removed from his brain? Well, I managed to fix it and wrote a translation program that allows our computers to read it. It was what I've been working on for so long. It actually shows a visual history of everything that Sheppard experienced, heard and saw when the Wraith device was activated. It basically gives us a proof of what hallucinations he experienced _and _how he replied and responded to those hallucinations. I watched a little bit of it and…" he turned wide blue eyes to abruptly stare at Sheppard. There was a look of intense horror and pain in the scientist eyes. In them, Sheppard also recognised the look of compassion and pity for him.

"Oh God, Sheppard, I understand now why you were so freaked out when we first met you down on that planet, I mean, I saw how we hurt you, beat you up." He turned away then, took a large swallow as if he found it hard to continue speaking. Finally McKay turned back to Sheppard and said, "I'm sorry Sheppard, sorry for what that Wraith SOB made you think we did to you."

Sheppard felt numb; his mind finding it extremely difficult to process what McKay had just told him. Did Rodney _witness _some of what Daffy had put him through? He found the thought disturbing. It was bad enough that he had to experience what had been done to him, but to have his team and others watch what he had been through was ten times worse. He felt irrationally ashamed and embarrassed as if somehow this was his fault. To be tortured by hallucinations of his own team mates was not something that he was proud of, nor was being helpless and unable to help as his team when they were tortured before his eyes while screaming for his help. He could not meet the McKay's eyes as he mumbled, "Not y-your fault, Rodney. It w-wasn't you guys. I k-knew it wasn't you."

He had to look away then. He did not want to be reminded of his nightmares, of the damn Wraith hallucinations, he had experienced too many of them to last a lifetime. They invaded his dreams, his waking hours. He was plagued by them day and night; they were what woke him screaming sometimes in the infirmary ward. He knew that his experiences had scarred him and he didn't know what to do about it. He didn't want to watch them again or for his team to watch what he had been through. The last thing in this world he needed was further reminders of what he had experienced through the Wraith mind device. His heart rate started to accelerate, his breath started to increase and his vision started to go blur, he suddenly felt nauseous - sick to the stomach.

"John? Are you all right?" he heard Weir ask, her voice sounding concerned before a roaring noise filled his ears and drowned out her voice all together.

Suddenly, he felt hands on him, supporting him, guiding him to the edge of the bed. Someone brought a large thin container and placed it under his face. He found himself puking his guts out, the action sending violent waves of pain to the centre of his stomach as he emptied himself into the container below him. He groaned, hating himself as pain ripped through him and he puked some more. The smell of his puke was awful and he opened his eyes only to feel alarmed to see that his vomit was greenish black in colour again.

"Oh God, what is that? God it smells awful! What _is_ he puking out?" he heard McKay's voice ask in horror.

"It's that bloody wraith device inside him that's causing this, Rodney. As I told you before, Colonel Sheppard is a very sick man…," Beckett stated solemnly.

More hands were upon him then and he felt hands thumping and rubbing him gently on the back.

"It is okay, John, you are going to be okay," Teyla's voice reassured him speaking softly, as she held his hand.

"Just hang in there John, we're here for you," Weir's hand squeezed his shoulder gently, while the other patted his back.

"Just ride it out, son. Calm down, breathe easy and you'll be okay." Beckett's voice instructed him.

Ronon didn't say anything, but he felt the big guy standing there nearby, staying out the way but close enough to let him know that he was there should he need him. McKay just looked away as if he couldn't handle the scene and looked ready to puke himself.

Finally his nausea ended. And he found himself being pushed gently back into bed again. Someone was wiping his face down with a damp clean cloth, wiping whatever horrible gunk from his mouth, cleaning the mess that he had made of himself. He closed his eyes, feeling exhausted, finding it hard to stay awake now. A new cool and clean cloth was now wiping at his forehead, brushing away strands of unruly dark hair from his eyes. Then it moved to his neck, wiping away his sweat. The action felt good against his heated skin.

"Are you feeling better, John?" The female voice asked. He swallowed and nodded, his eyes still closed.

As if from faraway, he heard Beckett giving someone instructions to have his puke taken away and analysed. When he heard Carson instructing a nurse to change him into scrubs, his eyes snapped open. He reached out and grabbed Beckett's hand in a tight grip. He gave the Scotsman his most determined and stubborn glare. "No!" he commanded. "No… scrubs! I h-have to leave now… b-before… it's too l-late. Lf'wyne's w-waiting for me!"

He stared at Beckett's surprised face. He knew that Carson would probably think him mad or delusional now, but he refused to back down on this. He knew he was screwed, that he was dying, but he also knew that this was his only chance. He had to make them understand how important this was to him.

"What if Sheppard is telling the truth?" This question came from Ronon, surprising him for he knew how the big guy hated Wraiths.

He let go of the physician's wrist as Beckett turned to face Ronon. Sheppard was finding it difficult to stay awake now. His earlier panic attack had exhausted him. His eyelids felt heavy, he could not muster up enough strength to stop his eyelids from sliding close.

"Rodney? Would we be able to watch whatever is in that device in fast forward?" He heard Weir question the scientist.

There was a pause as McKay thought about it. "Yes, I should be able to modify the command. If we watched it through picture search, we should be able to see whether there are scenes of Sheppard's Wraith friend there. If not, then…" McKay's excited voice faded away as he finally passed out.

---

To be continued


	30. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 37**

Sheppard was having a nightmare when a hand touched him, shaking his shoulder. "Wake up, Sheppard! We've got to go!"

His reaction was automatic. He jerked awake, his fist striking out, swinging in response to strike out at the offender, half-hearing the words "_McKay watch out_!" as he hit air and little bit of cloth as somebody jumped out of the way.

"Geesh! Sheppard, _calm down!_ It's me, Rodney! You nearly took my head off with that swing!"

He lifted his head and stared at McKay's startled and anxious face, feeling guilty about it. He saw the astrophysicist turn to give a look of gratitude at Ronon, saying "Thanks for the save", making him realise that the Satedan must have pulled McKay away in time before he could slug the guy.

The remnant of the nightmare was fading away. "You okay now?" McKay turned back to Sheppard, asking him the question a little hesitantly. Sheppard read concern, anxiety and something else in the scientist's voice.

"Yeah, s-sorry about that. Didn't mean to…" he paused, not wanting to say "_hit you!_" as he really didn't want his team thinking that he was half-nuts, _not _that they didn't think it of him anyway.

"Hey, Sheppard, it's okay. We understand," McKay consoled him. "So… you okay?"

Sheppard breathed out and nodded, trying to ease the pace of his rapidly beating heart. He knew now that he had been having a nightmare. Dreams of his team haunted him, either they were being tortured and killed in front of his eyes or they were the ones torturing him and killing him. Sometimes the nightmares would be of him trapped on a cold metal table as a metallic spider and tubes of multi-coloured liquid were inserted into his chest while he screamed in agony. At other times, he would be hung in chains, beaten to a pulp and left to die. There were too many nightmares to count and remember. Each one seemed to enjoy taking their turn to haunt him whenever he slept.

"Yeah… I'm all right," he panted softly.

He stared up at his team again and saw that Elizabeth was also with them. It took him some time to realise that it wasn't only McKay, but all of them were staring at him anxiously, looking at him as if he would crack at any second. The only person who didn't have that anxious look about him was Ronon. The Satedan instead projected an attitude that seemed to say that he understood what Sheppard was going through and that he had confidence that he would come through it all right.

Feeling uncomfortable now, he glanced down and saw that he was still dressed in his BDUs. He felt surprised. The fact that he wasn't wearing scrubs gave him hope that it was a good sign.

"Sheppard, remember what you told us about meeting your Wraith friend, what's his name? Neville?" McKay finally asked him.

"Lf'wyne…" Sheppard corrected softly to the scientist, wondering where this was heading. Sleep still fogged his mind but the name came automatically to his lips. He felt hot, feverish and not quite all there yet.

"Yeah, right, him… well… we've decided to help you."

As Sheppard was still trying to get his mind into gear about what this was all about, Dex came forward, looked at him impatiently and said, "So, you ready to go?"

"Go where?" he asked dumbly not quite understanding what was going on. Being jostled awake from a nightmare could do that to a guy. He felt confused and disorientated.

"_John! Help me! Pleeeaaasse! I don't want to die!"_ A vision of doppleganger McKay in chains as he was lowered into a lava pit flashed at him. He flinched, jerked back and blinked, trying to drown out hearing not-Rodney's pleading voice in his head. The agonising screams of the rest of his not-team also still echoed in his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and gripped his forehead._ They're not real! They're not real! _He told himself over and over again, knowing it to be true.

"Hey Sheppard, you all right?" asked McKay in concern as he reached out a hand to touch his forearm. He startled slightly but this time didn't pull away.

"Huh? Yeah…, yeah, I'm f-fine," he breathed the words out, looking back at the scientist again just to make sure that McKay was all right.

"Just… a flashback of a n-nightmare…" he stated softly.

"Yeah, I can understand those," Ronon observed softly, surprising Sheppard with his words.

Sheppard nodded and pursed his lips. He then lifted his hands in an attempt to rub his face, wishing that he didn't feel so tired. He felt a sense of urgency within him that he needed to _do _something – but his mind was too fuzzy and uncooperative to be able to figure out what it was.

"We have to meet your Wraith friend, John," Teyla said gently as she reached out her uninjured hand to touch his shoulder lightly as if reminding him why they were there. There was apology written in her eyes and he wondered about it.

Yet her words kicked started his memory making him recall that Lf'wyne was waiting for him and that he was running out of time. _Crap! _The sense of urgency returned tenfold. Looking up, he wondered what time it was. He hadn't meant to succumb to exhaustion and he was now angry at himself for doing so. But what little rest he had managed, seemed to have had helped him for despite still feeling tired and sick, he noted that he actually felt slightly better. His headache wasn't pounding so hard anymore and there was no more pins and needles sensation in his body. Either the captured Wraith's condition was improving or Carson had given him something to help him recover a little of his strength.

"We?" he asked, looking up puzzled, feeling more alert now.

"Well, you don't expect us to allow you to go alone, do you?" McKay snorted. "You barely have strength enough to stand."

He finally shook his head, rubbing sleep out from his eyes. "How long have I been asleep?" he asked.

"Not long, probably ten or fifteen minutes, tops," McKay replied anxiously.

"Okay, help me out of bed."

"I've got you a wheelchair to take you to the puddle jumper that we have ready and waiting for ya," Carson said as he came wheeling the said wheelchair over to him. Before Sheppard could protest, Ronon was hoisting him into the invalid's contraption and Beckett was rolling him out of the infirmary in a rush.

"No need to tax your strength when you don't need to, Colonel," Beckett informed him kindly.

"So… you b-believe me about the Wraith?" he asked as his wheelchair was pushed hurriedly into the corridor.

His team shared a silent look but it was Elizabeth who answered him. "Let's just say that we're willing to _trust _you in this, John."

Even as Weir spoke, Sheppard detected a haunted look in her eyes; in fact, all members of his team were looking sombre and uneasy. He wondered about it before putting two and two together and realised that they must have watched the video link of the mind device that Rodney had spoken about earlier. It was the only explanation that made sense. The thought once again made him feel severely uneasy. He felt a tight tension knot coil once again in his belly and frowned. With a deep breath, he forced his mind not to go where it wanted to go. _Don't think about it, John!_ Silently, he wanted to grind out an accusation "_You watched it!_" to his team but couldn't bring himself to do so.

"So… how sure are you that the Wraith will be able to help you?" McKay added after a while.

"Pretty s-sure," he replied. He didn't add that he _hoped _that he was right, for Beckett's earlier words had planted a seed of doubt in his mind wondering whether it _was _all a dream. "You g-guys really don't have to c-come along, I can d-do this alone."

"Humph, as if we're going to allow _that _to happen!" the astrophysicist snorted. "I thought we've already been through this?! You're in no shape to fly a puddle jumper, Sheppard. Even a blind man can see that! If you tried, you'll probably pass out and crash doing more harm than good. We're going with you whether you like it or not."

"We are your team, John," Teyla voiced gently, her brown eyes capturing his gaze as she voiced the words like a promise. "You are not alone. Please let us help you in this." It was as if she sensed that he had been hurt earlier when they did not believe him.

Relief and something else filled him. Sheppard looked at her face and finally nodded, not trusting himself to say anything as he felt a lump form at the back of his throat. The edges of his eyes burned slightly. He had felt alone for such a long time. Snacks and Lf'wyne's company had helped considerably but they were not the same as his team. To regain the trust of his team meant everything to him.

"I promise not to kill the Wraith," Ronon added with a growl.

The Satedan offered Sheppard the opening he was looking for, allowing him to focus on something other than his internal feelings. He found himself chuckling at the statement. "That w-would be helpful." He didn't want Lf'wyne harmed, especially not after what the Wraith had done for him.

"We just need the coordinates on where to go, John. Rodney will fly you there," Weir informed him.

"Wait!" McKay suddenly stated. "Will Sheppard be okay if we left Atlantis without the presence of a Wraith with us? I mean, doesn't he need to be near one in order to survive?"

"We're just using t-the jumper to go through the Stargate which should take us directly to t-the planet itself, Rodney. I asked the Wraith to meet us a little further from where t-the planet's Stargate is positioned, just to play it safe. We'll cloak the puddle jumper. And once there, I s-should be okay as Lf'wyne should be there."

"Aye," Beckett replied, "I'll have to agree with Colonel Sheppard. When we were aboard the Daedalus, it took a little while before his system started to shut down. And if I recall correctly, when you travel through the Stargate, your molecules are in suspended animation until you reach the other side, so the Colonel should be fine. Is that not so, Rodney?"

"Yes, you're correct!" McKay snapped his fingers and beamed. However, a large scowl formed on his forehead a heartbeat later as he hit his head with his hand in frustration. "How could I forget that? I'm not coming down with a fever am I?" he stated worriedly.

"I don't think so Rodney. I think it's probably due to a lack of sleep," Beckett stated kindly.

"Let's just hope that the Wraith _really _is there," Elizabeth added solemnly.

Sheppard turned to look at her. "I thought you s-said you believed me?"

Weir arched an eyebrow. "I said I _trusted you _John, _not _the Wraith."

Sheppard considered her words and nodded. "I'm w-willing to take t-that chance."

He knew that if Lf'wyne had left, he would be a dead man or he would have a very short time to live, which to him didn't make a damn difference. He turned to look back at Weir.

"What about Rogunie? He w-wouldn't like this."

Elizabeth looked at him evenly, her eyes hard as she spoke the IOA representative's name. "Don't worry about Rogunie, John. Colonel Caldwell and I will deal with the IOA representative once he's freed. He's currently still stuck in the isolation ward screaming his head off." An amused smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she said those words. "Of course we'll let him out and tend to his injury once you and your team have left Atlantis. Just get what you need John and come back to us alive. Carson will be joining you and your team on this one. He needs monitor your vitals and make sure that you make it okay to your destination and back."

Sheppard looked at the rest of his team then. In them, he saw trust, determination and desire to do whatever it took to aid him. A tiny smile formed on his lips. He could do this. He had people willing to risk their positions for him and he didn't intend to let them down. After all, he wasn't ready to die, not if he could help it. There were still battles for him to fight and he intended to be there to do so.

---

To be continued


	31. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 38**

A little ferret-like creature with a bandaged wing hurried along Atlantis' ventilation ducts, exploring the numerous routes that the great Ancient city had to offer. It often paused here and there, sniffing away at the numerous strange and mysterious smells that the came its way. The little Talmera liked its new home for it was much more pleasant than living in its home world where Talmeras were always hunted and killed by humans and Wraith alike.

Currently, it was searching for Sheppard, the first human it ever met who treated it with kindness instead of malice. Being near Sheppard somehow reminded it of flying and open skies. Snacks found that unusual as it had never met a human before who evoked such feelings in it. A unique bond of friendship had formed between the human and the Talmera; Snacks found that it missed Sheppard's company terribly and it felt an instinctive need to protect his new found friend. Somehow it had developed a loyalty to Sheppard that it didn't understand but neither did it question it. Snacks loved being petted especially by Sheppard, for the human seemed to know exactly where to scratch it, always hitting the right spot – just under its ears and neck leaving the Talmera cooing with contentment and delight.

As Snacks scurried along, it thought about McKay too, wondering where the scientist was as it didn't think the man would be at the lab where it had left him. It sensed that McKay had something to do with Sheppard's sudden disappearance from the room below. Snacks also liked McKay as the scientist was fun to be around, often providing Snacks with yummy treats to munch on whenever the scientist ate. The living quarters where the scientist lived and kept Snacks was also a treasure-trove of many delights. Whenever it wasn't sleeping recuperating from its injuries, Snacks had discovered a wealth of many interesting shiny items and even one fluffy slipper that it took great delight on chewing and snuggling up to. Snacks didn't think that McKay had noticed that the one of his nice fluffy slipper was missing yet. Nevertheless, Snacks still missed Sheppard, the first human friend that it had befriended and bonded to.

So now it was on the hunt for Sheppard, letting its nose and its animal instincts direct it and lead it to where Sheppard was. It followed the invisible path through the many twists and turns of the ventilation shaft until it finally arrived at Atlantis' infirmary. However, it soon realised that it had arrived a little too late for his friend Sheppard and even McKay were no longer there. They had left the infirmary not too long ago. Snacks detected the whiff of the humans' presence in the air, including the presence of sweet smelling Teyla, and the masculine scents of Beckett and Dex. With them was the scent of another female that Snacks wasn't familiar with.

With its nose twitching excitedly, it gave a little chirp and headed out the infirmary door in a hurry, following the trail of its human friends. Already the scent of those it tracked was fading and intermixing with the scent of other humans who used the same corridors. However Snacks refused to give up, determined to catch up with its objective. The Talmera knew that if it had the use of its wings, it would have been able to go much faster. However, as that option wasn't available now, it ran as fast as its legs could carry it. _Hurry-hurry-hurry! _The need to hurry grew stronger. It gave out soft little chirps, its front legs stretching out far and wide while its hind legs sprung back, leaping and bounding ahead as it sprinted forward, zipping past human legs when they got in the way. It heard startled cries from people that it avoided and some high pitched screams from females that it passed. But it never stopped. Finally, it saw another set of vents that it shot through like a fiery little bundle of fur and feathers.

After more twists and turns through the ventilation shafts, it soon found itself in a large room cluttered with numerous machines and people. At the far end of the room, quite a distance from where Snacks currently was, stood the activated Stargate with the puddle jumper hovering before it. Snacks' animal instincts told it that Sheppard and his team were currently inside that silver grey vessel. The Talmera was familiar enough with the Stargate on its own home world to recognise that the device was used by humans and Wraith as a means of travel. Seeing it now made it panic slightly as it squeaked out "_Wait for me!_" in its own language before it started to sprint forward towards the jumper. Of course nobody understood it. However, Snacks still hoped that its human friends inside the puddle jumper would be able to hear and sense its presence just as Snacks could sense them.

But to its dismay, the jumper suddenly powered up, flew through the Stargate and was gone. The gate shut down almost immediately after that. The little Talmera gave out a sad lonesome chirp; its ears drooped down and its tail plummeted.

Snacks had been left behind.

---

The cloaked puddle jumper landed in an open clearing beside some trees with only a slight bumpity-bump.

"Not b-bad, Rodney," Sheppard commented. He was currently stretched out on the back seat of the puddle jumper with Teyla on one side and Beckett on the other. Beckett had insisted that the pilot rest while he had Sheppard attached to a portable IV line. The doctor was couching next to him and so that he could monitor the colonel's current health status. Sheppard knew that from the rotten way he felt, Beckett wasn't too happy with what he saw. Teyla was also close by, wiping the sweat away from his forehead, face and neck, temporarily taking up the role of Beckett's nurse.

With the co-pilot's seat empty, Ronon Dex had taken the opportunity to seat himself there. At the way the Satedan looked, Sheppard suspected that the big guy had enjoyed the ride and the view offered in that seat.

"Hmm, well… I've been practising," Rodney replied smugly. A smile flitted across the scientist's features at Sheppard's praise. He powered off the jumper, made sure that it was still cloaked and quickly got out of from his seat to approach Sheppard. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Fine," Sheppard lied. He saw the worried looks that Beckett gave him which he chose to ignore. After all, it wasn't as if there was anything that Beckett could do to help his current health. Therefore, he didn't see the point of telling the truth when it would only increase his team's anxiety for him. During the short journey get there, his headache had returned full force and every part of his body felt hot and achy. His gut was painful and his was also covered with perspiration. From the crappy way that he felt, he wasn't sure whether it was from the flu or from withdrawal that his body was currently experiencing from being away from the presence of Wraith. Perhaps, it was both, Sheppard wasn't certain anymore.

As they landed, he tried to sense for Lf'wyne's presence but found that he couldn't tell whether the Wraith was still on the planet. Only his Wraith friend could help him now and Sheppard prayed that the Wraith hadn't left yet.

"John? Are you ready?" Teyla asked him. He nodded. Beckett quickly removed the IV from him while Teyla helped him sit up.

"It's getting dark outside," Dex commented as he observed the sky from the jumper's windscreen.

The puddle jumper had landed at the edge of a small field. Long prairie-like grass carpeted a little clearing while scattered nearby were various scrubs, thick bushes and trees. The twin suns on the planet were currently setting taking most of the planet's light with it.

"Hmm, yes," Rodney replied, "Looks like we've arrived at dusk."

The third day, Sheppard knew that they were cutting it close. Too close for his comfort.

Ronon Dex exited the co-pilot's seat and headed swiftly towards the back jumper door. He then looked down, removed his blaster to check it first before twirling it around his trigger finger like an eager gunslinger ready for battle.

"Put that thing away, the Wraith's f-friendly," Sheppard stated with a small frown as he finally stood up, wobbled slightly before he regained his equilibrium.

Dex shot him a wordless look before he returned his blaster into the holster and gave him a feral grin. "I'm friendly."

"Yeah, sure y-you are," Sheppard replied, not really sure whether he could trust the Satedan to keep his word but finally figured that Dex would not lie to him.

McKay pressed the puddle jumper's release button that opened the back door of the shuttle. As the cool night air and the sound of night insects invaded into jumper's interior, Sheppard asked Teyla, "Can you sense any Wraith here?"

Teyla shot him a look, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For a few heartbeats, silence pervaded the jumper, then Telya breathed out and nodded her head slightly. "I sense _something_…" she murmured in a hiss but a puzzled frown creased her forehead. "I feel it may be Wraith but yet it feels _different_."

Sheppard nodded, remembering how Lf'wyne had informed him back on the planet that Daffy had done something to change it slightly. It could also be the reason why he was feeling so poorly now. However, Teyla's words still reassured him.

McKay in the meantime took out the life signs detector from his pocket, turning it on.

"Hmm, I'm picking up one life sign." Blue eyes greeted him then. "Looks like your Wraith friend really might be here waiting for you, Sheppard."

Sheppard smiled, feeling relieved by the scientist's words. His relief did not last long when Rodney's smile suddenly turned into a frown as he lifted up a hand and said, "Whoa! Wait! The life sign is now moving away from where we are. It looks like it's in a hurry!"

Sheppard cursed. Lf'wyne must have got the call to return back to the Hive ship. After all, today was the end of the third day.

"Shit! He's leaving… I must s-stop him!" Sheppard dashed out of the jumper, not waiting to see whether his team followed him.

---

Rogunie was livid, seething with red hot fury. The emotion flooded through him as he sat on an infirmary bed while a young female doctor attended to his broken fingers. He was so caught up with feelings of rage and the desire for revenge that he barely felt any pain from his injury, neither was he aware of the painkillers that currenlty coursed through his veins. In all his years working as a secret agent for the Trust, he had never once lost a single prisoner that he had been sent to interrogate… that is, until now. Now his impeccable record was tarnished.

To have Sheppard escape from his grasp was unthinkable. Especially since he truly believed that Sheppard was guilty - that the pilot had collaborated with the Wraith somehow. After all, why else would the Wraith give the pilot back his life? In Rogunie's world, people only used one another for their own purposes under the pretence of what people liked to call friendship. Rogunie never understood that concept, nor did he believe in it. To him, friends were false, none-existence. The fact that he himself had never experienced friendship proved it as much. Therefore, it was easy for him not to believe Sheppard when he spoke about Kolya's Wraith aiding him for a second time with no strings attached. Rogunie believed that the Wraith wouldn't have aided Sheppard to escape again unless it had a hidden agenda.

It therefore meant that Sheppard was guilty for he had accepted that help. The pilot must have given something to the Wraith: information perhaps, or a promise to do something once he got back to Atlantis. He was anticipating getting that information out from Sheppard when Weir, Caldwell and Beckett had hindered his efforts aiding in Sheppard's escape instead. His prisoner had been beamed out from the isolation ward right before his eyes. He couldn't believe it that Caldwell, Colonel Steven Caldwell, had the audacity break protocol, behaving almost like Sheppard. He knew that the Daedalus had beaming technology available. Just thinking about it made Rogunie's blood boil. He would make sure that all of them went down for this.

However, what puzzled him more was the reason why Weir, Caldwell and all those involved would risk their careers for Sheppard. He saw John Sheppard as a traitor to his kind. For these people to aid him meant that they must also be collaborators of the Wraith. That could be the only logical explanation to his deduction. If that was the case, then all of them should be punished. After all, all Wraith deserved extinction: they were the mortal enemy to the human race. He promised himself that Weir, Caldwell, Beckett and all of Sheppard's so-called 'friends' would pay dearly for what they had done. After all, not only had they aided Sheppard to escape by beaming him out from the interrogation room but the Atlanteans had also prevented Rogunie from doing his job. At the end of the day, he was still the representative of the IOA, even though his loyalty and interest lay with the Trust.

When the young doctor finally finished splinting and bandaging his broken fingers, he ordered everyone out. The doctor wanted to give him a sedative to calm him down but he just glared at her and threatened to take her job. He enjoyed seeing the terror flit across her brown eyes at his threats and smirked when she quickly ordered her nursing staff out of the room. Left alone, Rogunie began to plot ways to take his revenge.

He was coming up with a plan when Rogunie heard a familiar chirp coming from somewhere on the left. Turning his head, his blue eyes narrowed when he cause sight of the strange ferret-like creature dashing into another room. Getting out of bed, Rogunie removed his hunting knife from the sheath of his boot. He intended to kill the critter that had ruined his perfect suit.

---

Sheppard's lungs were pounding painfully in his chest, his limbs were aching terribly from runner's cramps and blood was roaring through his ears but still he pushed his body forward in a desperate sprint ahead. They were currently running through a forest where he had been forced to avoid trees and leap over shrubs that blocked his way. He had to make it in time in order to stop Lf'wyne from leaving. It was his only hope. However, despite his best efforts, he feared that he would be too late.

Teyla was currently running alongside him while Carson and Rodney lagged further behind. Dex however had sprinted ahead of him. Sheppard was concerned that the Satedan might actually end up stunning Lf'wyne with his blaster, which wasn't recommended for such an action would not elicit trust between their two peoples.

He knew exactly when all hope was lost when he saw another small clearing far ahead and heard the familiar whine of a Wraith Dart lift up to the air. Ronon was still too far away to reach it and in less than a heartbeat he saw the Wraith Dart fly away, heading off to the skies. _Lf'wyne! Wait! _His mind screamed out in despair seeing the Dart disappear swiftly from view.

He stood there for a while looking at the empty sky in shock. Then a vicious pain struck him inside his chest and he groaned, collapsing to the ground.

"_John!_" Teyla cried out in alarm as she reached out her uninjured hand to try to stop him from falling but she was not strong enough to carry his dead weight. "_Ronon, Rodney, Carson! I need help here!_"

Sheppard didn't like the sound of panic that he heard in her voice. He stared up dully at the darkening sky feeling his nose beginning to bleed profusely again. More pain hit him and he gritted his teeth tightly and desperately tried not to scream.

---

To be continued

Ah...what's a chapter without two cliffies, eh? (winks)


	32. Chapter 39

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author._

_Yes, I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but I wanted to say thanks again to those who took the time to review. You guys rock. We're almost reaching the end, only a few more chapters to go...  
_

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 39**

Rogunie crossed the infirmary floor to enter the chamber where the alien critter had dashed into. There were sounds of voices and a woman's startled scream. Rogunie arrived to see a nurse standing near a chair that she must have been recently vacated. She was eyeing a small ventilation shaft on the left wall with a startled look on her face. Rogunie suspected that the damn critter must have scurried in there for cover.

"What was that?" she asked in a high-pitched voice to the young marine also stationed in the room.

"It … er… it looked like a ferret, ma'am," the soldier replied as he gripped his rifle tightly with both hands.

Rogunie cleared his throat and saw both the nurse and the marine turn towards him startled.

A small frown marred the marine's face. "I'm sorry sir, but this area is off limits except for medical personnel. You'll have to leave." The marine looked no older than twenty.

Rogunie ignored the young man as his own eyes widened at the sight of the unconscious Wraith lying on the bed nearby, connected to medical machines and IV lines. Seeing the injured Wraith peaked his curiosity. He whipped out his ID to show it to them. "I am Mr Rogunie, IOA. So, this is your captured Wraith, I see. How is it?" He addressed his question to the nurse.

The nurse studied his ID, shot him a nervous look and finally answered. "The Wraith's in a coma. But it still seems to be hanging in there, which is good news. I understand that its presence helps keep Colonel Sheppard alive…"

"So I've heard. It is good news indeed for Sheppard." Rogunie replied smoothly, approaching the bed closer to study the enemy. "So… " he asked, looking back at the nurse, "it wouldn't awake anytime soon?"

The nurse shook her head. "I don't think so, sir. Since surgery, the Wraith hasn't woken up at all."

Rogunie smiled. "Good. Now, please leave, all of you. I will watch the Wraith."

"But sir," the nurse replied, looking at him as if she thought he had gone mad. "As I told you, the Wraith will not be able to hear you or answer any of your questions, it's still unconscious."

Rogunie nodded and smirked. "So you did, and I thank you for it. But I have the authority to be here. Leave now before I report your insubordination to the IOA." He turned to give a fierce glare at both the nurse and the marine.

"Yes sir, but I must inform my CO of this," the marine said as he moved towards the door.

"You do that," Rogunie replied, "and tell him who I am. You may wait outside if you wish."

The young marine finally nodded and left.

Rogunie smiled to himself. He wanted to be alone because he planned to kill the Wraith. Sheppard had to be somewhere in Atlantis. Weir and her people were just hiding him. He had asked the Atlanteans as soon as he had been released from the isolation ward, but no one seemed to be able to tell him where Sheppard was. And Weir and Caldwell were currently ignoring him. Which meant that if he killed the Wraith, Sheppard would die too. In effect, it would be killing too birds with one stone. Rogunie smiled to himself. After all, the nurse herself admitted it that the Wraith was dying; all he was doing now was to hasten the process: make it look like an accident. What could be better?

He looked around and saw a spare pillow lying on a chair seat. Reaching out for it, he positioned it above the Wraith's face. Suffocation would leave almost no evidence of foul play. It would seem as if the Wraith had just stopped breathing. Given its current state of health, could be a likely scenario. People might suspect that he might have something to do with its death, but they would not have proof, and after all it was a Wraith. The enemy. It did not deserve rights. Rogunie smiled. This was going to be easy… He bend forward, pillow gripped tightly at hand to do the deed. He was startled when he saw the Wraith's eyes suddenly open ….

---

Teyla stared at Sheppard in shock, watching helplessly as her team leader and friend suffered in agony, his head thrown back, his eyes squeezed shut, his head slamming to the ground, his body writhing in pain. She moved swiftly, pillowing Sheppard's head on her lap so that he won't hurt himself as she tried to hold John's convulsive body steady.

"Carson?! Can't… you do anything to help him?" McKay asked in a scared voice. He ran a hand through his hair and fidgeted in anxiousness.

They were all feeling the same way, Teyla instinctively knew. Scared for Sheppard; frightened that this time they were going to lose him. "Don't die, John. Be strong. You're going to be all right…" she whispered the words close to his fevered face as she held him, trying to support his jerking body; knowing in her heart that he was too far gone to hear her words. John had done so much for all of them. She closed her eyes and prayed to the Spirit of the Ancestors to save Sheppard's life…

Beckett took out a syringe and urgently injected it into Sheppard's arm. "I don't know if this will help," the doctor said anxiously. "I've given him some pain killers, something that will hopefully prevent his system from going into shock. But that damn device inside of him is killing him. I dare not give him anything stronger. Each time he is separated from Wraith's presence, his condition deteriorates further; the pain appears to be more intense." The doctor looked up at them. "I don't think he's going to survive unless he has a Wraith nearby."

"So what do we do?" Dex asked, looking at the doctor darkly. "Do we go Wraith hunting?"

"We don't have time, Ronon!" Teyla replied as she tried to ease John's struggles; she noticed that they were getting weaker now.

Carson stared at Sheppard intensely, "Hang on, Colonel, you'll be okay," he told Sheppard. Then he looked up at them again, revealing to them his concerns. "I never expected his condition to deteriorate so fast." He paused, his mind racing. "I could place him in a medical induced coma that might prevent him from going into shock. Perhaps that would give us enough time to get him back to Atlantis…. But it's a risk in itself for I don't know how the drug will react to his system. And we don't have the proper equipment here to monitor his status. To be honest, it's a big risk that may kill him.."

"What?" Rodney gulped, looking at the doctor in shock. "Is it that bad?"

The doctor looked grim. "Aye, Rodney."

"No, there must be something else that we can do," McKay murmured, looking devastated.

Dex came to help Teyla hold Sheppard down. Teyla bit her bottom lip and looked down at the dying man in her arms. "John, you are going to be okay…" the Athosian tried to reassure him without allowing her voice to break. She tried her best to sound calm even though her heart was beating wildly. She felt the pain of grief bite her soul. She had lost so many in her lifetime, she was not ready to lose him now. None of them were.

Sheppard gritted his teeth in distress, shook his head violently as he opened his eyes suddenly, gasping in short, painful breaths. Teyla saw him staring blindly at the darkened sky. He did not seem to be aware of her or of his surroundings. He lifted his head and cried out in a desperate voice, "_Lf'wyne!!!_"

His back arched and more blood sprang from his nostrils. Teyla gripped him tighter, trying to hold him down but finding it difficult with one wounded hand. She willed with all her heart for him to get through this. She was glad when Ronon reached out further and helped her restrain Sheppard gently but securely to the ground. They made sure that the pilot didn't hurt himself by his thrashing. Rodney was also kneeling beside them now, helping to hold down Sheppard's legs that were kicking about.

"_Down! D-down … on the… p-planet!_" Sheppard gritted out breathlessly, his hazel green eyes staring unseeingly at the night sky. He jerked, one hand clutched into a tight fist while the other clawed at the ground.

"What's he talking about?!" McKay asked, looking confused. His eyes were frantic as he leaned more of his weight down onto Sheppard's bucking legs.

"He's delirious, Rodney! The Colonel's in a great deal of pain and I don't think the pain killers are helping much," Beckett explained grimly.

Sheppard released a pitiful sound that sounded like a whimpered moan. "Oh.. god…. it… h-hurts…"

"I know John, I know…" Teyla replied, biting back tears as she caressed the side of his forehead while she and Ronon held his convulsing body down. She could feel his heart pumping and racing erratically through his chest and she feared that any second it would stop beating all together.

"C-can't …t-take much … m-more…," he hissed pitifully through gritted teeth. Teyla saw tears of pain leak down the corner of his eyes. Her heart felt his pain; she wished she could do something, anything to be able to help him, to ease his hurt, to stop what was happening to him.

"I know, John. But be strong…. You are going to be all right." All she could do was whisper encouragements in his ear. She didn't even know if he heard it. She never felt so helpless in her life. It felt almost like the time when Charin had passed away and all she could do was stand there and watch it happen. She wished that she could do more. She _wanted _to do more. She was becoming angry at the unfairness of it all. Sheppard suddenly cried out again clutched his chest again.

"Carson… Is he… having a heart attack?" McKay asked, looking frightened from where he was holding down Sheppard's legs.

"No… thank God…," Beckett replied, "But the Colonel's in a lot of pain and his condition is deteriorating further."

He turned now back towards Sheppard. "Colonel Sheppard, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm going to try to give you something to put you to sleep…." He looked up back at them again. "I don't know if this is going to work, the last time I tried to give him a sedative he reacted negatively to it. I'm going to try a different sedative this time…."

Suddenly John opened his eyes. "_No!_" he gasped out, gripping Beckett's arm in a death grip, forestalling the doctor from taking action. Terrible pain radiated from his features but all could see the determination that blazed in his eyes.

"_Lf'wyne … c-comes!_" he gritted out the words.

"What?! Where?" McKay asked, looking up, scanning the skies. Then they heard the whine of the Wraith Dart arriving overhead. Teyla's heart soared with hope, expecting it to land. However, to her horror she saw the Wraith beam activate. She had no time to react before the beam hit her and all those around her. A white flash of light enveloped her and she knew nothing more.

---

To be continued


	33. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

_Note: An edit thanks to Starmage1 who spotted a boo-boo where I made McKay say "Atlantis" instead of "home". No, the Wraith isn't meant to know where our guys are from... Oopsie! Also fixed up a couple of typos that I spotted along the way.  
_

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 40**

_Lf'wyne!!! _

The psychic call of the familiar voice in his mind took Lf'wyne by surprise. The Wraith had been piloting the Dart back towards his Hive ship when he suddenly felt the desperate cry echo in his head. It was followed by a stab of agony in his chest, not his pain, Lf'wyne recognised instantly, but that of Sheppard's.

"Sheppard?" He whispered out the name.

His nostrils flared in hesitation, he felt torn between two decisions. His queen had called. He had to return to the Hive ship, but he now knew that Sheppard was in trouble from the bond of the Gift of Life that they shared. From what he sensed, he knew that Sheppard was dying.

His senses reached out, searching where the psychic link came from. A small frown formed, Sheppard felt close…. Could it be?

_Where are you? _he finally asked, projecting out his thoughts as he made a link with the mind of the other. It was not easy; Sheppard wasn't unconscious or asleep this time, which made it more difficult to form a conscious link. The human's mind was filled with so much pain and distractions. He was surprised when he got back a reply.

_Down! D-down … on the… p-planet! _

The mental reply that he received was weak and getting weaker by the minute. Sheppard was always surprising him. The Wraith released a low chuckle. The human was cutting it too close. However, at receiving Sheppard's reply Lf'wyne instantly slammed on the reverse throttle. He swung the Dart around and headed back to the planet.

His fingers now swept across the Dart's communications panel. He would have to inform his queen that he was going to be temporarily delayed. He thought up of an excuse that won't necessary be a lie but perhaps a bending of truth a little. As he sent the data burst across to the Hive ship, he knew that his people would probably assume that he was having mechanical problems with the Dart. Lf'wyne didn't see the need to inform them that the item that required fixing was actually a human named John Sheppard. Somehow, he felt that his brethren wouldn't understand about the bond that he now shared with the human.

When the message was sent, his focused his thoughts back on Sheppard, sending the reply: _I am coming…. Wait for me. _There was no response in the other's mind, only pain: terrible, overwhelming pain.

_Sheppard? _

More silence greeted him. He didn't like this.

Lf'wyne frowned, feeling an anxiety build within him as he increased the speed of the Dart to full throttle. He removed the data crystal from his pocket to study it briefly before keeping it back in his pocket. Even with the information at hand, the Wraith wondered whether it would be able to save his human friend in time.

---

John Sheppard opened his eyes to see a blurry outline of something green with long white hair staring down at him. _Wraith! _His heart started to pound in alarm, trying to pull away and reach for a weapon.

"Ah Sheppard, do not be anxious…. It's me! I have come!" said the Wraith.

He blinked, moving a hand to rub his eyes. "Lf'wyne?" he repeated the name, looking up at the Wraith then turning around to see where he was. He was still on the planet, lying on a soft bed of long prairie-like grass. A Wraith Dart stood nearby on a small clearing several paces to his left.

He frowned, noticing that he was not where he originally remembered they were. He was no longer lying in the midst of a forest with bushes and trees in the way. In fact, the clearing he was now in looked quite similar to where they had landed the puddle jumper earlier. He wondered whether the Wraith knew about that or if it was just good luck - a fortunate coincidence. Whatever the case, it worked to his favour. He looked for his team and when he didn't see them anywhere, he felt anxiety form in his heart.

"Where are my people?" he asked the Wraith suspiciously, his forehead creasing into a frown. Worry and concern for Rodney, Teyla, Ronon and Carson showed in his voice.

Lf'wyne shot him an unreadable look as it moved its hand and pointed towards the Dart. "In there."

Sheppard felt startled when he saw what the Wraith meant. "You mean … you used the Dart's transport beam on them? _Why?!_" He voice sounded accusing but this time he didn't care. He could not play nice if his team was in danger, not even for this Wraith.

The Wraith observed him in amusement before replying. "Ah, Sheppard. It is _you _I trust, not your people." The Wraith's words reminded him ironically of Elizabeth's words. "Besides, I could not approach you while you had so many others there. They do not know me as you do."

The Wraith's amused smile widened slightly at its next words. "I could have been _shot _and then where would you be?"

_Was that a joke? _Sheppard silently wondered as his lips curved upwards in a soft chuckle. So far, every time they were outdoors, one of them always ended up shooting the other – even if it was by a stunner. But still, the fact that his entire team was in the Wraith's hands made him uneasy.

To Sheppard's surprise, Lf'wyne seemed to understand his concern for his team. "I will release your people before I leave. You have my word."

Sheppard nodded. Somehow, he trusted the Wraith's word. It had already demonstrated on more than one occasion that it had honour; the first Wraith to demonstrate such a trait. Sheppard knew that it was definitely more honourable than ten Kolyas put together. Besides, in truth, he wasn't sure how his team would react to the Wraith's presence, even if it _was _there to help him. The soldier in him knew that if he were in the Wraith's position, he probably would have done the same thing. After all, he wouldn't trust any of the Wraith's friends, only Lf'wyne.

"It is good to see you again, Sheppard," the Wraith observed. "When you did not arrive, I feared you would never come."

Sheppard nodded as he wiped a trail of blood from his nose. The bleeding had stopped and the pain that he had experienced earlier in his chest was also fading away. Once again, he felt strength flowing back into his limbs. But the process wasn't as fast as it was before. He knew that each time he was away from Wraith, he died a little more. However, being near Lf'wyne was helping him regain some of his strength. In all honesty he was getting pissed at having to rely on Wraith's presence for his continued survival.

"Feeling's mutual," he replied. "It's good to see you too, Lf'wyne. The last time we met, you could have just said 'No' you know." He did not appreciate been tricked and stunned.

The Wraith immediately understood him and chuckled. "Ah, but I could not allow you to follow me, Sheppard. Besides, you needed to get back to your people."

"Yeah," Sheppard replied a little subduely. He remembered too well how he had attacked his team thinking they were doppelgangers. Yet, he was grateful to the Wraith. "Thanks."

The Wraith gave him a small smile in acknowledgement. "As I recall, you too once stunned me. We are now even."

It was Sheppard's turn to laugh as he nodded. "So, did you destroy the labs?" He remembered hearing reports from his team about the explosions on the planet when they rescued him.

"Yes," the Wraith replied, his visage turning grim. "Such a thing deserves to be destroyed."

The light hearted banter left Sheppard as he listened to Lf'wyne. "Did you kill the Wraith?"

Daffy was on the top of his list of 'dead' be it by his hand or another.

Lf'wyne seemed to know who Sheppard was referring to. "I do not know how many escaped before the charges went off. He might have escaped or he might not. I am uncertain. But I assure you, Sheppard, if I meet him again, I shall kill him."

Sheppard felt surprised at the Wraith's words. "Why?" he asked. He knew that he had reason to want Daffy dead but was astonished to find such passion in the Wraith's voice.

Lf'wyne gave him a look that a disappointed teacher would give to a wayward student. "Ah Sheppard, have you not been listening to what I've told you before? Remember, my brother, all Wraith are not alike. He belongs to another fraction that knows no honour. My Hive is different from his. What he has done to my kind and to yours goes against everything that we believe in. He has done things, unspeakable things that bring no honour to the Wraith. My people, we feed because we need to in order to survive. Your people fight against mine because you fight for survival. His kind kills and experiments on your kind not purely for food, but to change your kind into something different, creating an unbalance of what is. He has crossed the line into realm that is best left alone."

Sheppard understood and he wondered what Lf'wyne would think if he knew what they had done to Michael. He did not think that Lf'wyne would approve, but there was nothing that he could do about it. What they did, was a matter of survival - it wasn't something that he was proud of.

The Wraith didn't seem to notice his discomfort, or if it did, it didn't mention it. Lf'wyne's hand moved towards its pocket, removing a small blue crystal. He looked at the crystal for a second before handing it to Sheppard. "I believe that this is what you need. The information in there should allow your scientists to remove what has been done to you safely."

Sheppard reached out and took the data crystal from Lf'wyne's hand. He stared at it for a moment, wondering how they could access it. After all they did not have any Wraith technology with them. He asked the Wraith as such.

Lf'wyne frowned slightly. He had not considered that. "Is there any among you who can understand Wraith devices?"

McKay.

Rodney would be the one to figure it out. "Yes," he replied. "There is one. Currently you have him stored as energy molecules in your ship."

Lf'wyne chuckled at his words. "He is not the long haired one?"

Sheppard lifted an amused eyebrow. "Oh, you mean Ronon?" He wondered whether the Wraith recalled that he had used Ronon's blaster to stun it the last time when they were on Kolya's planet. "No, no… he's definitely _not _Ronon. The big guy you'll want to be more wary of. He … er… doesn't like Wraith much. Having his entire planet culled can do that to a guy."

Lf'wyne blinked at him, before it simply answered, "Ah yes, I sensed his hostility… but I am Wraith," as if that explained everything.

"Your scientist, what does he look like?"

"Short dark brown hair, a little chubby on the side, wears a blue and black jacket, shorter than me, might be heavier too. Talks a lot," Sheppard replied.

The Wraith chuckled at his description. He brought out a small device in his hand and pressed a button to look at the display screen. "Ah, there is one here who matches that description. You would say that perhaps he's heavier than another male you have with you?"

"Yes," Sheppard replied, knowing that the other one Lf'wyne referred to would be Carson.

The Wraith nodded as it thumbed a button. A second later, a white beam projected out from the Dart and Rodney McKay appeared looking dazed and confused. He almost stumbled backwards with shock when he saw the Wraith standing a few paces before him.

"Crap!" he shrieked out in alarm, reaching out for his weapon at his holster before Sheppard stepped forward placing himself between Rodney and the Wraith. He prevented the scientist from doing something foolish.

"Relax, Rodney. It's friendly."

"W-what?" McKay stammered, looking both shocked and pleased at seeing Sheppard standing in front of him. "You okay? Cos the last thing I remembered, you weren't looking too well."

Sheppard gave him a tight smile. "Yeah… I k-know. But I'm f-fine now."

McKay glanced around. "Hey, where are the others?"

Sheppard nudged his head and pointed to the Dart. "In there."

Rodney's eyes widened. "Oh God, you mean they're in that Dart?! That's where I was a minute ago?! I think I'm going to be sick…" He turned to look back warily at the Wraith.

"They'll be okay, trust me. Here…," Sheppard said as he handed the data crystal to the scientist.

"Er… what's this?" Rodney asked, looking at it curiously.

"The information that you need to save Sheppard," the Wraith replied.

"Huh?" Rodney looked at it dumbly again, his scientific brain obviously not yet in gear.. It took him a second or two before he finally realised what was being said. He turned back to face the pilot, looking surprised and slightly guilty now. "Oh God… so you _were _telling us the truth all along…. Guess we owe you an apology, Sheppard."

"You did not believe Sheppard?" the Wraith asked looking puzzled.

"Well when he told us about you, we thought he was delirious with fever, that you were a dream… After all, think about it. If the situation was revised, would _you _have believed him?" McKay asked a little defensively.

The Wraith thought about it and chuckled. "Ah… I see your point…."

"Good," Rodney smirked before he studied the small device in his hand. "So how do we read it?"

Lf'wyne started to tell McKay, asking him questions about their current technology.

Sheppard watched them, noting that Rodney was obviously suspicion of the Wraith's intentions.

"Whoa, wait! Why can't you just tell us … or better yet, give us the cure? You know, like an injection or something?" McKay asked the Wraith.

Lf'wyne shook its head. "It's not that simple, I am not a physician. The data you now have would be useful to your physicians. I've given you the information for the cure. It's up to you and your people to save Sheppard."

"Which is why you're telling me how to access the information…. Hmm, I see your point," observed McKay. However the scientist still shot a sideways look at Sheppard as if to say, '_Are you sure we can trust this guy?_'

Sheppard spoke up. "I trust him, Rodney. I don't think Lf'wyne is here to harm us."

That seemed to satisfy McKay as he turned back face Lf'wyne. "Okay, right. So… what did you say we need again?"

Sheppard only half paid attention to the rest of their conversation. Feeling tired, he seated himself down on a rock as McKay and Lf'wyne continued talking. It felt strange, ironic even, seeing both of them conversing together about what was needed to save his life. Sheppard gave a wry smile, shaking his head at the irony of it as he picked up a stick and began to scribble a picture of Snacks on a small patch of sandy ground nearby. He wondered how his little friend was faring back in Atlantis. He hoped that the little critter had managed to find its way out of the ventilation system. The little critter had better be okay and keep out of trouble.

His thoughts were faraway and he felt tired, bone weary. At the way he felt, he didn't think he would survive another attack of withdrawal syndrome. The pain was too much. He didn't think his body would be able to take a worse trauma than that. That thought made him frown a little as he began to consider the ramifications of it.

A little while later both McKay and Lf'wyne stopped talking and approached where he was sitting, waiting for them.

"So… f-finished with your discussion?" he asked, not allowing them a chance to ask how he was. In his voice, he tried to sound better than he actually felt.

"Yep," McKay stated cheerfully. "I think I've a fair idea what to do once we get back home. I'll just need some time to get it done, then you'll be as good as new…"

"Good," Sheppard replied as he stood up, only to wobble slightly. McKay was instantly there to lend him support.

"Are you all right?" McKay asked. "Cos you don't look all right. In fact, you look rather pale… like you're about to fall flat on your face at any moment."

"_Thanks_, McKay." Sheppard said sarcastically as he shot the scientist an unappreciative look. "Way to make a guy feel better."

Lf'wyne chuckled before stating, "I must return to my Hive. Already I have delayed longer than expected. My people await my return."

Sheppard turned to look at the Wraith. "Thank you, Lf'wyne. For everything."

The Wraith nodded. "It is an honour to know you, my brother."

"Ditto," Sheppard replied sincerely. When he saw the Wraith frown at the word, he said, "Same here."

The Wraith smiled as it walked back to the Dart. As he did so, Sheppard yelled out a reminder, "Hey! Don't forget to release the others!"

The Wraith chuckled. "Do not worry, Sheppard. I have not forgotten."

McKay came to stand beside him and the two men watched the Wraith enter his ship. Sheppard turned to glance at Rodney. "Listen, there's something I need to tell you, if all else fails..." McKay turned to look at him anxiously, obviously wondering what he was talking about.

He didn't like to consider what he was about to say, but he knew if he didn't tell the scientist now, he might not get another chance. Taking a deep breath, he spoke and told the scientist what was on his mind even though he knew Rodney won't like what he was saying.

When the Wraith was back safely in the Dart, Lf'wyne activated the transport beam, releasing the rest of Sheppard's team. At their reappearance, Sheppard quickly explained to the others what had happened.

Dex looked about for his weapon and growled. "Where's my blaster?!"

Just as the Dart flew off, another beam appeared from the Wraith ship close to the Satedan's feet. A moment later, Ronon's beloved blaster appeared on the ground. As Dex bent down to pick it up, Sheppard chuckled to himself as they made their way back to the puddle jumper.

Lf'wyne had a wicked sense of humour.

---

The Stargate activated. Weir hurried to the Gateroom at the first sound of it. "Chuck?" she asked the gate technician.

"Receiving Dr McKay's IDC, ma'am," he informed her.

"Lower the shield," she commanded.

"Already done, ma'am," he replied.

A heart beat later, they saw the puddle jumper fly gracefully through the Stargate. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at its return.

Weir nodded to the medical staff who were waiting with her as she made her way as quick as possible to the jumper. She dreaded having to tell Sheppard the news, yet she knew that he had to told what had occured.. She just hoped to God that they were successful in their mission.

The jumper door opened. She entered first before anyone could get out.

"Did you get it?" she asked, looking at John. To her relief, she saw the Head of the military contingent still alive, sitting up and grinning at her.

"Aye," Beckett replied with a smile of his own, nodding towards McKay. "Rodney's got the information that we need …"

Carson was next to the pilot with Teyla by his side but before he could continue on speaking, Sheppard made a sound. All eyes turned towards the pilot to see him look suddenly terribly pale. There was a shocked look in his hazel-green eyes as he turned slowly to gaze at them.

"John? Are you all right?" Weir asked. _They said they got the cure! He should be all right! _Weir's mind screamed silently in growing anxiety.

Sheppard didn't answer her as he started to get a terrible nose bleed. Then his eyes rolled over and he collapsed without a sound.

"_John!_" Teyla cried out in alarm while Beckett rushed to his side saying "Bloody hell!"

McKay stared at Sheppard in horror then back at Weir. She saw his eyes taking in the medical personnel with her who were rushing into the jumper now with emergency medical equipment at hand.

"No no! This shouldn't be happening!" Rodney cried out. Then his eyes widened and he turned towards Weir. "Is the Wraith dead?!" he demanded.

Weir shook her head… "I do not know, Rodney. Possibly. We caught it feeding on Rogunie. A marine shot it, interrupting it before it could finish its feed, but it managed to escape. It jumped through a window and dived off the pier into the sea. Our scanners didn't pick up any life signs. However, we haven't found a body either."

"Shit!" McKay cursed out loud. "Okay…, everybody out!" he ordered.

"What?! Why?" Weir asked startled. Had the scientist lost it?

Rodney stared back at Sheppard's prone form. He paled even further when he heard Beckett yell out the words, "Bloody hell! He's coded!"

The whine of the still heart beat filled the shuttle.

Before anyone could make a move, McKay headed back to the pilot's seat. "I'm dialling up the Stargate again!" He sounded a little frantic.

Weir frown deepened. "What's this all about? What are you doing Rodney?" she turned back towards him, not understanding his actions but knowing that there had to be a reason for it.

Anxious blue eyes looking close to panic stared at her as he started to speak rapidly. "Look, I don't have time to explain, but Sheppard foresaw that this might happen. Not about Rogunie being Wraith fodder of course, but that our Wraith might not survive its injuries. In the event of that happening, he told me what to do. Now… I don't have time to explain it all, but just trust me… or rather trust Sheppard! This will just buy us _and_ Sheppard time, which is what he really needs if he's to make it!"

Weir didn't need to hear any more. She nodded and ordered everyone out of the jumper. Beckett and team was about to carry Sheppard's body out after Carson managed to get a return of a weak heart beat again when Rodney shouted. "No! Leave him! Leave him at the back of the jumper! Carson, I need you here, you can't be with him…"

Beckett looked up shocked, waiting to argue but Teyla seemed to catch on to what was happening. "I'll stay with him!" she volunteered as she took over Beckett's place. "You go where you are needed, doctor."

Ronon stayed back. He wasn't sure what this was all about but he wasn't about to leave the jumper with Weir and the others. "Need any help?" he asked Teyla. The Athosian smiled at him and said, "Hold this," as she passed him the IV line that Beckett had attached Sheppard.

Just before the jumper door closed again, a winged bundle of fur dashed into the jumper.

---

McKay smiled when he saw Snacks then he turned the vessel 180 degrees and faced the rear of jumper towards the activated Stargate. As he started to manoeuvre jumper backwards, he heard the whine of the machine go off indicating that Sheppard had flat lined again. _Shit!_ he thought frantically to himself.

"_Teyla?!_" he called her name. No more words were needed.

"I know, Rodney!" she shouted back at him. "Just make sure you do what is required to save him! We will be here waiting for you!"

Rodney nodded. It took him less than a second to reverse the back compartment of the puddle jumper enveloping Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon and Snacks inside the event horizon. Then he slammed on the brakes ensuring that the jumper was locked into place.

Trembling slightly he activated his headset. "Connect me to the Daedalus!"

He communicated what was required. An instant later he was beamed out of the puddle jumper to materialise in the Gate room looking slightly shell-shocked. Beckett and Weir approached him in a hurry.

"Would ye care to explain what the bloody hell was that all about, Rodney?!" Carson yelled at him, clearly not at all impressed by McKay's actions.

Rodney however was unfazed by Carson's outburst. Instead he jutted out his lower chin and stated defensively, "I just bought Sheppard some time! We've exactly 38 minutes to prepare everything we need to save Sheppard's life!" He looked at his watch then and said, "Correction, make that 36.5 minutes!"

They all understood what Rodney had done. In effect, with their Wraith prisoner missing, possibly dead, Sheppard would have died shortly afterwards no matter how hard they tried to save him using conventional methods. This solution allowed McKay time to retrieve the data and for Beckett to manufacture a cure.

"Rodney! You're a bloody genius!" Carson acknowledged him with a wide grin.

McKay beamed. "Yes genius at work. But while I'd like to take full credit for this… it was actually Sheppard's idea."

With those words, Rodney turned back to glance at the puddle jumper sitting halfway in between the event horizon of the activated Stargate and the Gate room of Atlantis. At least this time, Sheppard had three friends with him to keep him company, even if one of them was a furry little critter by the name of Snacks. With that thought in mind, McKay hurried out of the Gate room heading towards his lab with the Wraith data crystal held tightly in his hand.

---

To be continued


	34. Chapter 41

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

_Thank you reviewers! You guys are awesome!  
_

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 41**

Thirty minutes later, McKay, Beckett and his team of medical personnel were back at the Gate room ready for action. Weir stood outside her office, watching the scene at the Gate room below and staying out for the way from those who needed to do their jobs.

"All right people, everyone know what they have to do?!" McKay called out loudly, looking at Carson and his team. At the head nods, he continued, "Right! Be ready to get to Sheppard as soon as I get the jumper out of the event horizon."

Seeing no objections he looked at his watch then activated his earpiece. "This is McKay, we're ready to be beamed to the forward section of the jumper."

No sooner had he said those words, the small team found themselves transported from the Gate room into the interior of the puddle jumper.

"Okay, people do your stuff!" McKay said as he scrambled into the pilot seat, powering up the jumper, shouting the words, "You guys ready?"

Carson nodded. "Aye, Rodney!"

So saying, the puddle jumper moved out from the Stargate back into the Gate room, revealing Sheppard and the rest of his team at the rear section of the jumper. As soon as they appeared, Beckett's team immediately went towards Sheppard, charging up the paddles of the defibrillator to restart the pilot's heart. It took a couple of tries and once they got a heart beat going again, Beckett gave Rodney a nod and the entire medical team including Sheppard himself was beamed out from the jumper to reappear in the surgery room at the infirmary. Once there, Beckett and team started the difficult process of saving Sheppard's life.

---

For what seemed an eternity, Sheppard drifted in a peaceful abyss of nothingness. No dreams, no nightmares, no pain. There was only emptiness and calm. He was quite content to remain there forever, never to move or feel pain again. However the serene peace did not last as his world was abruptly shattered by a tidal wave of pain, followed by alarming sounds and frantic voices about him. There were hands on his chest and something hard and uncomfortable was being pushed into his mouth, down his throat. More pain! _Oh God, stop! Stop! Stop! Please stop! _He opened his eyes, gasping, trying to struggle against those who held him down only to hear the words, "_Bloody hell, Colonel! You're not supposed to be awake! Nurse, help me restrain him before he …_"

The rest of the words were lost to him. Panic set in. It was happening all over again. He was being experimented on! He tried to struggle, thrashing about but more hands were holding him down, restraining him. There were people shouting above him, loud whines of machines ringing out in alarm. He felt something being injected into his arm, hitting his veins. _No! No! No more experiments! No more Wraith induced hallucinations! _Then the voices, the commotion, and most important of all, the pain faded away, taking him back into the abyss again. He sighed in relief allowing himself to go there willingly this time, not fighting its pull. It was nice where he was. He did not want to come out again. Out there, there was too much pain, nothing _but _pain. He was content to remain here and drift in nothingness… If he stayed here for all eternity, he thought it wouldn't be so bad….

---

"Why isn't he talking?" He heard a voice ask.

Sheppard had been awake intermittently for several days now. When he first awoke, he saw a sea of faces greeting him, smiling at him, asking how he was, how he was feeling. Concern radiated from the familiar faces but he found that he didn't trust them.

A man dressed in a physician's overalls had approached him, telling him that they had successfully removed the Wraith device implanted in his chest. The doctor informed him that he was going to be all right, that everything was going to be okay.

"You may still suffer from lingering phantom pain and their effects, son, but that too would soon pass in time. You're going to be fine, lad. Trust me."

He had listened to it all, but hadn't said a word or acknowledged what he heard. The problem was he didn't trust them or himself or this reality for that matter. He felt disconnected from them all somehow. He knew that they were his team, but he wasn't sure if they were '_really'_ his team. His memories were confused and shattered. What had happened before, his rescue, his meeting with the Wraith, felt like a faraway dream... They intermixed with feelings that he had recently been experimented on. He felt that he didn't belong, that he had lost something and he didn't know what.

Also, part of his problem was that the nightmares had returned. They plagued him now, invading his rest. He knew that they knew about the nightmares because he couldn't stop himself from jerking awake and screaming aloud from the infirmary bed. Someone was always there to wake him up, to reassure him that he was all right, but it wasn't enough. He didn't trust them, he didn't trust himself. He secretly feared that this was all just another hallucination brought on by the Wraith device in his head. He seemed to recall being informed that the implant in his head had been removed, but that memory was mixed up with the nightmares he had experienced. He wasn't sure whether it was a dream or a memory now. And he did not dare to ask. So he retreated into his inner world. If he did not say anything, he would not reveal to the enemy what they wanted to know.

"Just give him some time, Rodney," Beckett replied. "The data that we got from Sheppard's Wraith friend informed us that the implant in his chest was somewhat organic in nature, almost like a biological hybrid of a small but lethal bug combined with Wraith technology. It had intelligence enough to evade and outsmart our scanners. I've never encountered anything like that before and I would have never come up with the solution of how to successfully remove it without killing the colonel if it weren't from the information we got from that data crystal Rodney."

"But that doesn't explain why he isn't speaking, why he sometimes looks at us as if he doesn't trust us." Rodney stated.

This time Beckett signed, looked at Sheppard's silent form and said. "I think it's a combination of the trauma that he's been through; the Wraith hallucinations he was forced to experience and his latest brush with death. He almost died… _did_ die for a while there… Sometimes it can cause unexpected consequences. We just need to be patient with him. After all, I don't need to remind you about what we all saw from that bloody mind device, Rodney. Things like that he wouldn't forget easily. I didn't mention this before, but he also woke up for a few seconds on the operating table. He thought we were the enemy, Rodney. He thought we were Wraith, wanting to hurt him."

"Oh god…" McKay gasped out, sounding shocked.

"He's suffering from post traumatic stress… It's up to us to regain his trust, to let him know that he's safe among friends."

Sheppard heard all of this but the words didn't seem to connect to his brain. He felt detached from the world and he didn't know how to return fully into it again. He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep, praying this time that the dreams would stay away.

---

Sometime later (Sheppard was uncertain about the length of time) Carson came to see him again.

"Would you like to go for a little outing, Colonel?" Beckett asked him. "It's a glorious day outside and we thought that a breath of fresh air might do you good."

Sheppard turned and looked at the window. They had placed him in a corner cubicle, the best one that they had, allowing him more privacy and also a window, where he got to look at the sky.

Carson smiled down at him. "I'll take that as a 'Yes', Colonel…. _Rodney, Teyla, Ronon!_" he called the others in. "You may take Colonel Sheppard out now, but remember as soon as you see him getting tired, get him back here instantly. He's only just recovering from the flu, we don't want him getting another relapse again."

McKay, Teyla and Ronon came bounding into the room, greeting Sheppard with bright and cheerful smiles. Dex placed Sheppard in a wheelchair while Teyla grabbed a blanket and placed it snugly around Sheppard's legs.

"Oh… and I brought a friend to see you…." McKay said as he dropped Snacks onto Sheppard's lap. "I think he misses you!" The little Talmera squeaked happily at being reunited with his friend and Sheppard's hand automatically went to the soft fur under its ears and neck to pet it. Snacks curled itself happily on Sheppard's lap and cooed contently there.

They did not take him far, only to the nearest balcony where they parked his wheelchair and allowed him to sit and bask in the warm sun. His team sat around him, chatting among themselves and sometimes at Sheppard. They didn't seem to mind when he didn't reply to their questions. It felt pleasant, comforting to be there and Sheppard found himself enjoying the moment having his team close to him with the breath of fresh air sweeping against his skin and caressing his face and hair. The warmth of the sun shining down at him and the sight of the sea below him made him feel slightly more alive. It made him feel a little more connected to the here and now. Snacks, he saw, was now drowsing on his lap. For a moment, he wondered whether this was actually _real_; that it wasn't just a nice dream that his mind was making up….

He mulled over it and couldn't quite make up his mind. It was pleasant here and it was a hundred times better than the nightmares he encountered nightly. He moved his fingers, scratching Shacks again. The little Talmera awoke and started to play with his fingers, licking and nibbling at them. Sheppard felt his mouth curve into a small smile. He decided that he enjoyed being here, sitting in the sun and looking at the sea.

"Hey! Is Sheppard smiling…? I do believe he's smiling!" he heard McKay say excitedly from somewhere close by.

He did not care if his team saw him smiling. He continued to look at the sea and felt just happy for the moment.

"I do believe that John is indeed smiling, Rodney." Teyla replied. There was a sound of a smile in her voice too.

A tall figure with dreadlocks stood up to look at him, blocking out some of the rays shinning on his face. He stopped smiling as he tried to move his head to get back the warmth of the sunlight.

"Hey! Now! Look what you've done, Conan! You've made him stop smiling!" McKay's voice accused the other.

"Ronon, I think the Colonel wants the sunlight, you might want to move." Teyla's gentle voice said, making the large shadow move away from him.

Sheppard leaned back in his wheelchair again, at ease once again. He gazed contently at the sky and the sea, enjoying the freedom they offered. His team spoke to him for a while longer, all sounding excited, hoping to get another response or a smile out from him.

However, he was now content sit just there and not speak or move. They finally gave up and began talking among themselves. He listened to the sound of their voices, not really paying attention to what they said but just taking comfort that they were there - that his team was with him now, alive. Not dead, not dying, not hallucinations…

It felt good. It felt real… For the moment, he liked to think that they _were _real….

He did not know when he felt drowsy and fell asleep.

---

Sometime later he woke up again to find himself back in the infirmary bed. Someone was fiddling with his blanket, pulling it towards his shoulders where he had been shivering a moment ago. The blanket must have fallen off sometime during his restless tossing and turning.

He opened heavy sleep-laden eyes to see who it was. He made out a familiar bulky figure. The form froze as he saw Sheppard staring at him. He made out McKay's form in the dim lighting. One of his team always seemed to be with him now. In a strange way, it was comforting.

"Hey…," the scientist greeted him quietly. He noticed that it was dark. Where had the time gone? He seemed to be sleeping most of his days away.

Sheppard did not reply but only gave him a sleepy blink.

---

McKay felt nervous; he wasn't used to seeing Sheppard so quiet. It was just plain unnatural. He missed Sheppard's wit and banter. The pilot had seemed almost like his old self again back on the planet when where they had met the Wraith. But ever since saving his life, ever since Sheppard woke up again; it was as if he was a different person.

Rodney knew only too well of some of the awful things that Sheppard had gone through. After all, he and the others had watched the visual logs recorded in that damn Wraith device that they had removed from Sheppard's head. Beckett and Heightmeyer had informed them that what Sheppard needed now was time to heal, and patience and understanding from his friends. They needed to be there for him, to demonstrate that they were real; that they were there not to harm him and that he was safe, among friends and people who cared about him. Time, patience, caring… all things that Rodney himself wasn't very good at. Rodney had seen the video of what Sheppard had gone through… what the Wraith mind device had made the pilot see and experience. It took no genius to figure out why Sheppard was traumatised. Hell, Rodney himself felt traumatised just by watching the damn thing. Watching it was enough to leave Rodney feeling sick to his stomach and having enough nightmares of his own. But he knew that watching it was nothing in comparison to experiencing it firsthand. It would explain why Sheppard was so messed up.

What Sheppard had gone through was bad enough to break any man. But he knew that John Sheppard was stronger than all of them put together. Sheppard would get through this and be his old self again. McKay had no doubt over that. It just took time, effort and understanding.

However, seeing Sheppard now staring starring wordlessly at him made McKay uneasy. He felt a need to break through that wall that Sheppard seemed to have built around him. He took a deep breath and said a little nervously, "Look I don't pretend to understand what you're going through at this moment. Things must seem pretty screwed up and crap right now. The things you've experienced… well…, enough said about that… But I do know that you _don't_ trust us right now. You're probably wondering whether this is all _real_, whether _we're all__ real_… and frightened that it isn't."

He paused, seeing something flicker in Sheppard's eyes as the pilot turned to look away. He wondered whether he had hit a nerve and he took a nervous swallow. He hoped he was doing the right thing here, that he wasn't making things worse for Sheppard.

"Whatever that Wraith did to you, it has seriously messed with your mind. But you _know _us, Sheppard! You've got to know that _this _is _real! _You're safe, back in Atlantis… We're here for you, whether you like it or not, we're part of your team and we want you back! Just… _trust_ us again Sheppard… that's all I ask… Trust us… as we _trust _you…"

So there, he had said it. He had said the words that needed to be said. He looked at Sheppard again, hoping for some sort of response from the man. When he didn't get any, Rodney sighed, feeling disappointed.

As he stood up, he suddenly felt a hand reach out to grab his bottom sleeve jacket. He looked at it startled, before staring back at Sheppard. The pilot didn't look at him; he was still staring blankly at the ceiling above him. But by the grip on his jacket, he knew that Sheppard wanted him to stay. Rodney could do no less and so he sat down in the visitor's chair again. It wasn't that he intended to leave the pilot alone. After all, it was his turn to watch over the man. The team was taking turns. It was decided that one of them would always be with Sheppard - to reassure the pilot that he wasn't alone and chase the nightmares when he had one. He had just wanted to get himself a cup of coffee from the nearby coffee machine. But this was the first time since awakening that Sheppard had demonstrated any awareness of their presence or responded to their words. It was a good sign. He felt hope alight within him. Sheppard had taken another step towards recovery. McKay got himself comfortable in the visitor's chair again, placing his hand at the side of his sore neck, massaging it and wincing. He promised himself that he won't fall asleep on the visitor's chair again, especially since he still hadn't recovered from his sore neck the first time round.

That damn cup of coffee would just have to wait…

---

A few days later, Elizabeth paid Sheppard a visit.

"How is he?" The head of Atlantis expedition asked Teyla who was sitting next to the colonel's bed on the visitor's chair.

"There has been no change, Elizabeth. He listens but he does not speak," came the Athosian's soft reply.

Elizabeth nodded as she approached him. "John?" she called his name tentatively. "How are you feeling?"

Sheppard turned his head to look at her but made no reply. _At least he's responding to my voice_, Weir thought to herself. His reaction reminded her of when he was in the last stages of the retrovirus - he would respond to speech but not speak. She had come to visit him before whenever her duties allowed her to. Each time had been the same. She had spoken, and he had only listened but said nothing. They even had Heightmeyer visiting him for counsel sessions but so far Atlantis' resident psychologist couldn't break through the silent wall that he seemed to have built around himself.

But this time, she had come at the request of another. When she first received it, she had been concerned and had gone to Heightmeyer to ask for her advice. The psychologist had stated that she didn't think the visit would do John any harm as long as there were no threats or hostility made towards the colonel. In fact, she said that maybe it might possibly aid Sheppard in accepting what was real and what wasn't.

So Weir had agreed to it. She had even questioned the man who had requested it. She had to be certain that he had changed. What she saw showed no indication that he intended to harm Sheppard. After all, they had given the man and the IOA proof that Sheppard hadn't been compromised. The video log retrieved from the Wraith mind device (painfully difficult as it was to watch) had proven itself a blessing in disguise. Besides, the man who made his request now wasn't the same man who had stepped through the Stargate five days ago. Soon that man would be leaving Atlantis and this would be his last chance of seeing and speaking to Sheppard again.

"John?" Elizabeth looked down gently at Sheppard now. "Karl Rogunie has asked to speak to you. Do you remember Rogunie, John? We told you what had happened to him, do you remember?"

She saw Sheppard give her a slow nod. At least now, he was reacting to questions which was a vast improvement compared to a few days ago. She gave him an encouraging smile.

"Good," she replied. "Well, the IOA has sent Woolsey to escort Rogunie back. However, Rogunie wants to see you before he leaves. You don't have to do this, John. If you don't want to see him, just shake your head. But… if you don't mind seeing him, give me a nod."

When she had finished speaking Sheppard turned his gaze to stare blankly at the infirmary wall again. For a moment, she wondered whether he'd heard a word she said, but then she realised that he was taking the time to process the information for she saw him turn back and give her a nod.

Weir smiled. The John Sheppard she knew would always prefer to face his demons rather than to hide from them.

"Okay, John. I'll bring Rogunie."

She looked at Teyla then. "Should I leave?" the Athosian asked.

"No, Rogunie requested to be alone but I'll prefer if someone was with John when that man is around. After what he did to John or tried to do to him… I don't know whether I trust him. Just sit there and perhaps Rogunie won't mind your presence. But I'm not leaving him to be alone with John."

---

To be continued


	35. Chapter 42

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters belong to their appropriate proprietors, creators and owners. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit has been made from this. Only original characters and storyline belong to the author.

Thanks for all your kind comments! Now, for the final chapter…

**Title: Uncommon Alliance  
**by Stargalaxy

**Chapter 42**

Teyla understood Elizabeth's words as she moved her chair a little closer to the wall, positioning it in an area that offered her more movability. The Athosian had not seen Rogunie since coming back to Atlantis. There was no reason for her to visit the IOA representative, not that she even wanted to. So far Dr Beckett had made the every effort to keep the Colonel and Rogunie at opposite ends of his infirmary. And since the feeding, the IOA representative always had the privacy curtain encircling his bed securely closed.

However, before Weir left, she opened the privacy curtains surrounding Sheppard's bed. Teyla knew that Elizabeth did it to allow other people to keep an eye on Sheppard and Rogunie. While there, Dex arrived.

"Ronon?" Elizabeth greeted the Satedan looking surprised at his sudden arrival. "What are you doing here?"

"He needs a guard," the Satedan stated firmly, obviously having heard about the meeting between Sheppard and Rogunie.

Weir pursed her lips as she considered this. "Okay, Ronon. Just don't do anything rash like shoot an unarmed old man."

"I won't," the Satedan smirked as he shot Weir and Teyla a grin and stationed himself by the wall next to the infirmary window. He looked half bored but both women knew that it was only a front for they noticed that his blaster, although holstered, was within easy reach of his hand.

Elizabeth shot John a farewell look and left him with the two members of his team guarding him.

"Nurse, you may bring Mr Rogunie to visit Colonel Sheppard," Weir informed the young woman waiting by the door before leaving the infirmary.

---

Teyla had expected Rogunie to be considerably aged after his encounter with the Wraith. However, despite expecting it, it was still something of a shock when she saw him being rolled in a wheelchair by an infirmary nurse. The nurse gave her and Ronon a smile before positioning Rogunie's wheelchair close to Sheppard's bed. She greeted the colonel in a friendly manner then she turned her attention back to Rogunie speaking gently to the elderly and frail looking man.

"I'll be back in about ten minutes, Mr Rogunie. Would that be enough time for you?"

Rogunie nodded but didn't say anything else as the nurse left. The IOA representative turned his head to briefly gaze at Teyla but he did not speak to her. She saw him disregarding her presence as soon as his eyes landed on her. She stared at him in turn, trying hard not to display the inner shock that she currently felt inside her. Since the last time she saw him, the man had aged perhaps by thirty or forty years. Previously, he might have been in his late thirties, but now he appeared to be in his seventies or eighties. His pale blond hair had gone snow white and had thinned out considerably; his skin was now frail with age spots, and there were a lot more wrinkles and lines on his face where previously only a few existed. There was also some rounding of his back making him appear hunched. His hands trembled from sickness common to the elderly and his blue eyes were now pale and dull looking. Gone was his aura of arrogance and silent power.

Rogunie turned away from her to glance at the Satedan standing next to the window. The IOA representative paid more attention Dex; Teyla saw a frown form on his features but he made no comment. The Athosian wondered whether he recalled Ronon holding him up on the wall, threatening to kill him should he harm Sheppard.

Observing Rogunie, Teyla noticed that he appeared uncomfortable to be there. Yet, she sensed that the man wanted to be there, despite his discomfort, for he clearly wanted speak to Sheppard. Finally, she saw him take a nervous swallow and turn towards the man lying on the infirmary bed.

Sheppard, Teyla saw, was currently ignoring Rogunie, staring ahead at the infirmary ceiling. If he was aware of Rogunie's presence, he never showed it.

Finally Rogunie cleared his throat. It was a harsh, gravelly sound; an old sound.

"Colonel Sheppard," he called out the pilot's name. Teyla observed that this time he used the colonel's rank – it was no longer only 'Sheppard' or just plain 'John'. There was respect in his voice when he spoke the name, whereas before there was only scorn. His voice also sounded ancient, worn down with age, like a dried up leaf. It also sounded sad, filled with regret. "I do not know if you can hear me…"

The colonel's head turned towards the sound of his name and Teyla saw his hazel-green eyes focus on Rogunie with a small frown. The elderly man paused slightly when he saw Sheppard's attention on his face. It took him a while before he regained his composure. Teyla heard the sound of heavy breathing emanating from Rogunie as if he was trying to suppress some deep seated emotion. Finally when he spoke again, Teyla heard the pain in Rogunie's voice.

"How did you _do _it, Sheppard? How did you handle the pain? How to do you continue with the _will _to survive?" Rogunie asked brokenly. "I read the report again… about what happened to you the first time, when Koyla captured you…. I never truly understood what you went through…. What you experienced…. The agony of the feeding… It sticks in your memory like a thorn…, I never understood… until now…" The last word dripped with bitterness and regret.

Sheppard pursed his lips together and his frown deepened but he kept silent. Teyla could see that the pilot was listening, that he was disturbed by what he heard; she thought she detected a flicker of understanding in his eyes. Rogunie suddenly moved to grip trembling hands on Sheppard's wrist. Teyla heard the monitoring heart machine that Sheppard was attached to increase in beat. She stood up abruptly, wanting to stop Rogunie from touching the colonel. Dex too, she saw had moved closer, coming to stand just behind the old man.

"Release him," the Satedan growled.

Much to her surprise, Rogunie ignored the Satedan but continued to speak rapidly, urgently as if he was afraid he might get pulled away before he had a chance to say what he came to say. "I'm sorry Colonel… I understand now, I saw the video logs of the mind device. I saw _everything _that you've been through… How you fought them, refusing to give in to the Wraith's demands… No matter the pain and the hell that you went through… and I realised something… I realised that you were telling me the truth all along, that you hadn't been lying to me… You are a better man than me, Colonel Sheppard. If it were me, I don't know if I would have been strong enough to defy it or last as long as you did. Not especially after experiencing the first Wraith feeding…"

He paused, his hands now releasing the grip on Sheppard, his voice and his entire body trembling. Both Teyla and Ronon stood where they were feeling stunned. They never expected Rogunie to say the words that he did. They moved back to their original positions, allowing the old man some space between them, as he spoke again.

"I … was _wrong_…. Colonel Sheppard. I misjudged you… When I met you, I admit it, I wanted to kill you, to prevent you from endangering Atlantis and Earth… but … I was wrong… I'm sorry Colonel, I'm so sorry…"

John blinked and he turned his head away. Rogunie had stopped speaking and the Athosian saw the old man's chin trembling, There was wetness at the edge the IOA representative's eyes. She realised then how broken the IOA representative had become and she felt sorry for him.

"Well… that's all I came to say, Colonel Sheppard…." Rogunie finally cleared his throat and spoke up again. "That I'm … sorry."

As he made a move to depart, Teyla was surprised to see Sheppard's hand reach out to prevent Rogunie from leaving. "_H-hey…_" the sound of his voice was raspy and coarse. It was a rusty voice, unused in many days, except for when he screamed himself hoarse from waking up from nightmares at nights. But it was still Sheppard's voice and to Teyla's ears the fact that he was making an attempt to speak again was like some much needed rain on a farmer's dry crop.

"It's… o-okay…" he whispered the words softly. Two words and yet, it was filled with the emotion of compassion and forgiveness.

_Oh John, even now, you reach out to help others who have treated you unkindly._ Teyla thought silently to herself. Yet she understood why he did it, for she too had forgiven Rogunie at hearing his broken words. And yet she also knew that this was John Sheppard - protector of the weak and the defenceless. He risked his life on more than one occasion to save all in Atlantis. He even risked his life for Teyla and her people. And Rogunie still belonged to his people, part of the human race who resided on Earth.

Rogunie slowly turned back to face Sheppard again. He scrutinised the dark haired pilot closely. When he next spoke, there was despair and anguish in his voice, but mixed with it was the tiny sound of hope that perhaps Sheppard would be able to help him out somehow. "I don't understand how you do it…" he spoke in a broken whisper as a thin trail of tears began to leak down the old man's cheeks. "How do you get through it? How do you continue on living?"

Sheppard stared at the weak, elderly and frail man before him. There was a look of pity in his hazel-green eyes. He closed his eyes for a second, swallowed hard and then opened them to stare back at the man called Karl Rogunie. "You … _l-live_… one day a-at the time… You think of n-nothing else… except to make it to the next day.., and the next day after t-that… because to s-stop living… means you let them win…"

Rogunie was silent for a moment as he considered Sheppard's words, then he nodded to himself and said, "Thank you, Colonel Sheppard." Sheppard's words seemed to bring him some solace. "Thank you for agreeing to see me… to speak to me… I know that you didn't have to, not after how I treated you. But as I said before… you are a greater man than me… a much better man…. I know that now."

Sheppard turned his gaze away at Rogunie's words, pursing his lips and frowning slightly as he looked up at the ceiling again. He looked uncomfortable; Teyla wasn't sure whether it was because he did not wish to be reminded of his interrogation or he was uncomfortable with Rogunie's praise. Perhaps, it was both.

"I'll be leaving Atlantis soon," Rogunie added. "They're sending me back to Earth where I'll probably spend the rest of my days in a geriatric ward."

Sheppard continued to stare at the ceiling. Teyla knew that there was nothing that the pilot could say to that. The elderly man now turned to look at Ronon Dex, "I am ready to leave now, please call the nurse."

Dex did not move. He stared at John. "Sheppard?" the Satedan asked, waiting for the colonel to indicate what he wanted him to do. Teyla knew that the Satedan did it on purpose as respect for Sheppard and defiance against Rogunie. Sheppard turned and looked at Dex, giving the warrior a nod of approval. Rogunie, Teyla observed, gave a bitter smile at the Satedan's reaction.

"You are fortunate Colonel, what you have here I never had… You have people who _care_ about you. You have people who _trust_ you, who are willing to _risk_ their _careers_ for you," Rogunie observed in a sad and envious tone, emphasizing his points. Teyla saw Sheppard turn to listen more closely to the man's words. "I believe that they will be willing to risk their lives for you if you asked them to." The old man paused, his gaze settling back on Sheppard. "It is something that I _never _had the fortune of experiencing, because you see, Colonel, I do not have friends or people who care about me. I am alone in this world and I shall die alone in this world. You are fortunate indeed…"

Teyla saw Sheppard flick a look at her and Ronon and there was raw emotion written in his hazel-green eyes. "I know…" he acknowledged the words. "I t-trust my team w-with my life…"

Teyla felt like crying then for she knew that he meant every word of it.

As the nurse arrived to roll Rogunie's wheelchair away, Rogunie looked at Sheppard for one last time before lifting a pale, shaky hand in a wave of farewell. "Good bye Colonel Sheppard. I do not think we will meet again. I thank you for your advice, I shall consider them when I return to Earth."

Sheppard did not reply to that, instead he pursed his lips and stared at the ceiling for a very long time.

---

After Rogunie left, Teyla waited in silence for a while. Then she approached Sheppard quietly.

"John? Are you all right?" she asked him in concern, lifting a hand to touch him on the left shoulder. She was pleased to note that he didn't flinch at her contact this time. He seemed more accepting of their presence now.

He blinked before whispering out the words, "Y-yeah…"

It was only one word, but it was enough to make Teyla's spirits soar. She was about to move away, but to her surprise, he spoke up again.

"You're _real_… a-aren't you? All of _t-this_…, it's _real _isn't it? It isn't a h-hallucination…"

Teyla felt hot tears brim her eyes. _Oh John, did you believe all this time that we were simply hallucinations meant to trick you? That you were still a prisoner of the Wraith? _She wanted to enfold the man in her arms to give him a tight embrace, just to let him know that they were real. Instead, she tightened her grip on his shoulder in reassurance. She made sure that she captured his gaze before she spoke again. She made sure that her voice was strong, comforting and clear.

"Yes, John. We are real. You are truly back in Atlantis. We are truly here. You are safe, John; no longer a prisoner of the Wraith. You are home again."

Sheppard closed his eyes and nodded, before his hand moved to wipe at his eyes. Teyla glanced up and saw Ronon looking at her in approval, giving her a grin.

"Teyla's right, Sheppard, we are real," the Satedan added his voice to the matter.

Sheppard looked up and smiled. It was the first real, non-flitting smile she had seen from him since returning to Atlantis. She and Ronon smiled back at him. Slowly, little by little, they were getting the John Sheppard back again.

---

They waited in companionable silence with Sheppard now. Teyla sensed that after their brief talk that Sheppard was more at peace.

She was sitting silently in meditation when her radio beeped. Listening to the voice on the other side, she replied. "Yes, Rodney, I do believe that John is ready for something to eat."

Sheppard opened his eyes and looked up at her words. She smiled at him and said, "Rodney tells me that he is getting you some chicken soup." She had heard that it was meant to be good for one suffering from an illness. Earlier in the day, she had overheard McKay checking with Dr Beckett whether it would be okay to get such a meal for him. Carson seemed to think it was a good idea.

Sheppard gave her a smile but didn't say anything else.

McKay soon arrived, bearing a tray loaded with fresh fruit salad and a bowl of hot soup. Following closely at his heels was Snacks, its tail wagging furiously in excitement as it tried to hop and reach for the food tray.

The scientist placed the tray on Sheppard's lap saying, "Eat up! Doctor's orders! It's chicken soup, meant to be good for you!"

Sheppard reached out to give Snacks a pat as the little bundle of fur leaped from the floor onto his infirmary bed, chirping madly, almost causing the bowl of soup to overturn and spill everywhere. It was only Dex's fast reflexes that prevented chaos from happening when he reached across and rescued the soup and fruits bowls from taking a tumble on the tray.

"Snacks!" McKay scolded the little critter as he grabbed the little furball and carried it in his arms. "That's meant for Sheppard, not you, you little greedy rascal!"

Sheppard gave a soft chuckle and McKay turned in happy surprise to look at John then. "Oh god! Did I hear that?" He turned to look at the others for confirmation. "Did Sheppard just laugh?"

Teyla laughed too and nodded. "Yes, Rodney. I believe that John is doing well."

McKay beamed. "Huh… good! That's good." He looked at the food tray where Dex had placed the bowls back again and his nose twitched. "Oh, that smells good!" Then without asking permission, he placed Snacks in Teyla's hands, reached down and grabbed the soup bowl and spoon from Sheppard's tray and started to taste the soup for himself.

"H-hey!" Sheppard protested.

McKay almost dropped the spoon at hearing Sheppard speak his first word. "You… you _spoke!_" he cried out in delight. He turned to look back at the others again. "He did speak, didn't he?"

Teyla laughed, nodding her head, "Yes, Rodney, I believe that he did."

McKay smiled. "I'll say!"

Ronon folded his arms and looked at the scientist. "You might want to return that, McKay."

"What?" McKay asked, looking up confused at the Satedan.

"I believe that the soup _is _meant for the Colonel?" Teyla replied looking amused.

"Oh… right. I was only testing it to make sure that it was warm enough. You know, not too hot? After all, we won't want the Colonel to burn his tongue now, would we?"

"Sure, McKay," Ronon replied in a disbelieving tone as he reached across, removed the spoon and bowl from McKay's hands and placed them back on Sheppard's food tray.

Sheppard looked amused but didn't say anything else as he took the spoon, dipped it into the hot soup and began to eat.

---

He could only finish half a bowl before he decided that his stomach couldn't take any more. He was contemplating whether to feed the rest of it to Snacks when there was a soft clearing of throat sound. Looking up, he saw Woolsey peeking his head into the infirmary ward. Colonel Caldwell and Dr Weir were also next to him.

Sheppard frowned slightly, wondering about the purpose of their visit.

"May we have a private word with you, Colonel?" Woolsey said a little nervously. "Dr Beckett told me that you could have visitors."

Sheppard nodded.

"I will see you later, John," Teyla said as she got up to leave. Ronon also followed suit.

McKay however remained where he was. He looked longingly at the half finished soup on Sheppard's tray before finally bursting out and asking, "You gonna finish that?"

When Sheppard shook his head, the scientist grinned, grabbed the tray of food and headed out, munching on the remaining meal left there. Sheppard was now left with Snacks for company, enjoying the feel of the Talmera curled up at his side on the infirmary bed. At least he wasn't totally abandoned.

"Colonel Sheppard," Woolsey stepped closer as he greeted him with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Sheppard didn't feel like talking to Woolsey but he forced out a reply. "F-fine."

He saw Weir's eyes widen in happy surprise at his response and he felt a little guilty, knowing how everyone must have been worried about him.

"John… I'm glad that you are feeling better." Elizabeth said as she approached him. There was relief in her voice but also a burning curiosity. He could see that she wondered what had happened between him and Rogunie.

"Yes, that is good news indeed," Woolsey added, looking pleased himself. "Well, ahem, the reason why we're here is to assure you that as soon as you're well again, you're to continue your role as Atlantis' Head of the Military Contingent. Colonel Caldwell here is happy to step down and return to his role as Commander of the Daedalus."

Caldwell nodded at that. "That I am," he said as he shot a smile at Sheppard. "While we might differ in opinion regarding how to run Atlantis' military contingent, Colonel Sheppard, you've proven yourself capable of the task so far."

Sheppard smiled at the news, feeling pleased to know that he wouldn't be sent back to Earth.

"Mr Woolsey would also like to make a formal apology to you, John, on behalf of the IOA," Weir added, her eyes sparkling with righteous delight.

"Yes," Woolsey cleared his throat and added a little more uncomfortably to this statement. "I heard what Rogunie did to you, Sheppard. All I can say is not only did Rogunie misrepresent himself horribly for the IOA but Colonel Caldwell also found proof that he's working for the Trust. Believe me, this never should have happened, my most sincere apology for your mistreatment, Colonel. You have my word that he will be suitably punished…"

At Woolsey's last sentence, Sheppard spoke up, "I t-think he's already been p-punished enough…"

"Excuse me?" Woolsey sounded confused and surprised. "Do you not want us to prosecute the guy?"

Sheppard shook his head and sighed. "No," he stated softly.

Woolsey frowned. "I see… Mind if I ask why?"

"He came here a young man, he's returning to Earth an old one… There's n-not many years left for him… Do y-you not consider that punishment e-enough?"

Woolsey appeared shocked when faced with the cold facts so starkly. "Well, if you insist…"

"I do," Sheppard stated as he closed his eyes. He was tired; he did not wish to talk anymore. He didn't know when Woolsey and Caldwell left but he assumed that it was shortly after that.

But Elizabeth lingered back. He opened his eyes to see her staring at him, watching his hands as he petted Snacks' sleeping form. The little Talmera was currently curled up asleep on his belly. He loved the feel of the critter's smooth soft fur as he stroked its small body.

"Can I k-keep him?" he finally asked seeing Weir startle.

"Excuse me?" she stated, looking confused.

"Snacks? Can I k-keep him?"

Weir considered his request as she reached out a hand to give Snacks a pat too. "Oh… its fur is so soft…" she muttered softly. Then she turned her gaze back at him, while at the same time giving him a tiny smile. "Only if you make sure he's house trained, John, which means no complaints of Snacks' poo littering the floor and getting on people's shoes or acid spits harming our people."

Shepard found himself grinning from ear to ear. "Got it, Snacks will u-use the toilet and s-spit acid in t-there."

Weir laughed.

---

Three weeks later

He found himself being grabbed by his forearm and spun around before a vicious punch caught him on the left temple, knocking him to the ground. For a moment all he saw was stars. Then strong fingers grabbed him by the top of his hair and lifted his head up to gaze into dark eyes of not-Ronon grinning sadistically down at him.

"Give us the gate address, Sheppard, or you're a dead man!"

"No!" he stubbornly refused through clenched teeth, trying hard to roll with the punches and not to let the hits he was taking overwhelm him. He would never betray Atlantis. Neither doppelganger Ronon nor any other member of his false team would make him betray Atlantis.

"That is too bad," a female voice said as not-Teyla reached down and pulled him to his feet while giving false-Ronon a 'my turn' look.

Knowing that another attack was imminent, he managed to twist his body swiftly away to avoid the first jab of her fighting stick aimed at his midriff, but failed to evade taking a hit from the Teyla's staff as it expertly twirled, whacking him hard at his right side. Holding onto his throbbing side, he groaned, trying to stay out of her range and knowing that he had just cracked a rib. Narrowing his gaze and chewing on his lip, Sheppard forced the pain to the back of his mind as he slowly breathed out and waited for not-Teyla to let down her guard. When the opportunity presented itself, he made his move, feigning a move to the left instead of the right. As she swung the stick where she expected him to be, he dashed towards the opposite side, his body rolling defensively in motion as his hand reached out and grabbed the weapon, jerking it out from her hand. He didn't wait for her to recover as he straightened, twirled the stick around and launched it forward, a move that Teyla had once taught him. It was bitter irony that he found himself using such a technique on evil-Teyla now. With it, he succeeded in striking back with the staff by giving not-Teyla a glancing blow on her left shoulder, feeling a tiny sense of satisfaction flood through him at the small victory.

Yet before he could enjoy his brief triumph, something hard slammed cruelly into his kidneys. Gasping in pain, he half turned, realising his mistake that he had forgotten about Ronon! He fell to his knees, only to feel his arms pinned painfully behind his back as he was restrained in an iron-like grip. Not-Teyla now approached him with a look of pure malice on her face. She smiled down at him and before Sheppard could register what was happening, a knife sank itself brutally into his side, digging deep and twisting into his gut. Sheppard's eyes widened in shock as pain exploded inside of him, making him yell out, twisting his body, trying to escape from the fatal wound. The Athosian laughed as she mouthed the words "_You deserve this_, _John. You should have given us what we wanted._.."

"And now for the finale…." A new voice spoke up. Sheppard looked up to see not-Rodney approaching him with a look of glee in his eyes as he pointed a 9mm at him.

_You are not my team! You're not real_He voiced the words in his mind as he prepared himself for the inevitable. It was always the same, his team would either kill him or beat him to the point of unconsciousness, or he would watch them die while he was chained to the wall, or held back by wraith, helpless to do anything to stop it… This time he knew that it was McKay who would kill him…

He never heard the shot but heard a deep, familiar voice and felt a large hand shaking on his shoulder instead.

"_Sheppard, wake up! You're dreaming!_"

"_No!_" he jerked awake with start. Without thinking, he swung out a fist to hit whoever who was shaking him. But before his hand could connect with flesh, a firm hand caught hold of his fist, stalling his attack.

"_Sheppard! Snap out of it. It's Ronon!_"

"Ronon?! No! You're _n-not _Ronon!" he tried to struggle against the firm hands that were restraining him now.

"Yes I _am!_ I'm _not _going to hurt you! You have my word, Sheppard." The voice sounded adamant and resolute. The hands were not hitting him back or attacking him but instead firmly holding him down, ceasing his struggles.

"Ronon….?" he asked again, this time opening his eyes to see the Satedan's large form staring at him with determination and concern written in the warrior's gaze.

"Ronon? Is that r-really you?"

_A dream! A freakin' nightmare! That was all…, calm down, John, calm down! _He tried to still his racing heart and ease down his rapid breathing. _Dammit! That was a bad one._ It had been a quite some time since he encountered such a nightmare that left him shaking in its after effects. In the early days, they occurred more often, but as time passed, they seemed to reduce in intensity. The last time he had such a bad one, he had watched his team die…

He felt Ronon slowly release his arms, letting him go.

"You okay now?" Dex asked softly. There was slight doubt in the big guy's voice.

Sheppard nodded, "Yeah… s-sorry, just a …"

"I know," Ronon cut in before he could complete his sentence. "I hate nightmares. It's the only thing that you can't control. During the day, it's easier to manage but at night, when you dream… it's never easy."

Sheppard looked up surprised at the Satedan's words. The former runner had never spoken so much before especially about things that scared him.

"Sounds… like you've had y-your fair share of those."

Dex locked his gaze at him, warrior to warrior. "My entire world was destroyed, Sheppard. I was captured, turned into a runner by the Wraith. What do you think?"

Sheppard realised what Ronon was trying to tell him. The Satedan understood what he was going through, they had both been victims of the wraith, he was not alone. To know that, felt strangely comforting.

He nodded and sighed, running a hand over his sweat covered unruly hair. He remembered now that his team were taking turns watching over him. One of them would always stay with him when he retired for the night, making sure that he was all right. Beckett had only allowed him to be released from the infirmary and return to his quarters if he agreed to this arrangement.

Preferring the privacy of his quarters than the infirmary, he had agreed. He hated feeling vulnerable, out of control, like he was losing it. Worse, still, he hated having people witness him lose it. But at the same time, he was glad that his team was there to wake him up when the nightmares got really bad. He had good nights and he had bad nights, and unfortunately, tonight was a bad night. He knew that his team wanted to help him not because they pitied him but because they cared enough to want to. He didn't think he would be able to handle their pity. Yet, he still felt guilty that one of his team lost sleep as a result of him. But they didn't seem to mind and personally, he was secretly glad that they were close at hand to wake him up, to ground him to the reality that he wasn't a prisoner of the Wraith or to any Wraith implants anymore. He knew that his team was real and that fact alone made all the difference. He appreciated the help that they were giving him, more than they knew.

"Sheppard?" he heard the Satedan call his name again, the concern rising.

"I'm… okay," he stated hurriedly, as he realised that he had been sitting up staring at nothing for some time.

He needed to get up; he needed a breath of fresh air, out in the open, not cooped up here, stuck in a room, with four walls surrounding him. He swung shaky legs to the side of the bed. He realised that the clothes he was in was damp, that his entire body was covered in sweat. Ronon, who had been through this before, went to the clothes cabinet nearby and tossed Sheppard a clean t-shirt.

He managed a brief, grateful grin before saying, "Can you toss me a p-pair of running pants as well?"

A clean pair of pants came sailing his way.

So armed with a set of clean clothes, he stood up and padded off to the bathroom where he washed his face and brushed his teeth. He washed the stale taste out from his mouth and saw to his private needs. Then he removed his sweat filled t-shirt and replaced it with a clean one. The running pants went over his boxer shorts.

Having changed, he looked back at his reflection in the mirror and noticed a man staring at him who was looked a little too pale and tired. There a haunted look in his hazel-green eyes.

---

"Where are you going?" he heard the Satedan ask curiously as he walked out from his quarters, all geared up and ready to head out the door.

"Need a breath of fresh air, Ronon. I'm going for a walk or more correctly, a j-jog." At least he wasn't stuttering so badly now, only on odd occasion.

"At one thirty in the morning?" Dex asked, sounding a little amused.

Sheppard shrugged and managed a grin. "Why not? You don't have to follow me, Ronon. Stay here if you w-want. Catch some zzz's. Have a break."

He didn't wait to see what the Satedan decided. But when he left his quarters, he knew that he had a silent shadow following him through the slumbering corridors of Atlantis. Dex was allowing him space to recover from his nightmare.

He pursed his lips and picked up a running pace, glad for the privacy that was offered. If it was McKay, Sheppard didn't think the scientist would understand or be able to keep up with him. Out of everyone else, the Satedan warrior had the uncanny perception to understand his current mood and need to be alone. As a result, Sheppard didn't mind that he was followed. It was good to be able to run again. He let his feet guide him wherever they wished to go without thinking where they led. After running for about thirty minutes or so, he began to feel tired. He still had to work on building up his strength and stamina.

Panting loudly now, he looked around and found himself in the more isolated part of Atlantis. His favourite hangout, the east pier wasn't far away. He often came there when he needed to be alone or to sort out his thoughts. So far, since returning to Atlantis, he hadn't had the opportunity to visit it.

The need for fresh air and to see the stars shinning above him drew him onwards. He needed to feel the open sky about him, to remind him of freedom and flying, to help him forget about his time imprisoned and being tortured by Wraith and hallucinations of his doppelganger team. When he finally reached his destination, his secret hide-away, he turned around and saw Ronon halting, staying behind in the shadowed corridor. Once again, Dex was careful not to invade into his private space, giving him time to be alone. Sheppard felt grateful for the offer. He smiled when he saw the Satedan leaning back in the shadows and parking his tall form there. Sheppard wondered at his good fortune of having such good people to guard his back. He remembered Rogunie's words concerning his team. The man was correct, he was fortunate indeed to have such friends as these.

He turned around and looked about him. Bright stars hung overhead and the sea waters sparkled and danced far below. A gentle breeze caressed his sweat covered body as he leaned his hands across Atlantis' railings and felt the welcome throb of the Ancient City greeting him. Sheppard smiled as he stood there, soaking up the atmosphere of his surroundings, breathing the cool night air in, letting the wonder of nature wash away all the dark feelings in him.

He did not know how long he stood there, perhaps an hour, perhaps two. When he next glanced up at the sky, he noticed that the position of the stars above had moved considerably. He knew then that some time must have passed. He suddenly became aware that of the cold, that he was shivering, that he was aching all over from standing still for so long. He wished now that he had thought to bring along a blanket or at least a jacket with him. He looked up at the stars again and sighed. Despite his time outside, he was not ready to return to his enclosed quarters; he still needed this moment, this sense of freedom, to be out in the elements that offered him some solace and peace.

He closed his eyes and leaned one last time on Atlantis' railing, shivering but at the same time not waiting to leave. The thought of having four walls surrounding him felt too stifling. He had seen too many enclosed walls to last a life time. Yet the cold was getting to him. He looked at his watch to note that it was now three thirty in the morning. No wonder he was feeling cold! He was contemplating leaving to seek warmth and human company when he felt something soft and furry rubbing itself on his pants' leg. There was an inquiring chirp and he saw Snacks looking up at him. A moment later, he felt a warm blanket being placed gently across his back. Turning around, Sheppard saw Teyla smiling up at him as she tugged the warm blanket snugly around his shoulders.

She currently had a blanket slung around her own slim shoulders. He heard voices further beyond where Dex had been standing guard and he saw McKay, also wrapped in a blanket, handing a spare blanket to the Satedan. There was a flutter of wings and Snacks flew up to the railing that he was leaning on. The Talmera's injured wing had healed reasonably fast and Snacks was now airborne again; a fact that Sheppard knew the little critter was very pleased about. So far, Snacks had been alternating sleeping one night in Sheppard's quarters and the other in McKay's. This night McKay had access to the little Talmera.

"Ronon called us. He said that you might need some company and perhaps a camp-out while looking at the stars." Teyla explained. "He also thought that you might be rather cold."

"Smart Ronon," Sheppard replied, wondering how the Satedan could read him so well. "I'm ... freezing."

Teyla nodded while McKay approached them.

"Yes, so we see. But being a genius, I've brought us some hot chocolate to warm us up in this rather chilly morning," McKay added as he patted a stuffed backpack that he carried with him. He set it down and Teyla helped the scientist remove a large picnic blanket, laying it on the ground before them. A huge thermo flask and four tin coffee mugs followed suit.

"And in case we're feeling hungry or want a snack… No, I wasn't speaking to you, Snacks," Rodney said as he pushed the little Talmera's nose out of the way, as it tried to wiggle into the backpack. "I also brought along some recently microwaved blueberry muffins!"

Snacks chirped happily away in excitement as if they were meant of him.

"Hah! I knew you would like those, my little furry friend, but they're not meant for you, only for us humans!" McKay stated smugly as he tossed it a small piece of powerbar instead.

Within a few minutes, Sheppard found himself seated on a large picnic blanket, holding a mug of hot chocolate, sipping its delicious contents, while he held a warm blueberry muffin in the other hand. The thick warm blanket around him felt like heaven and a small smile curved his lips as he watched McKay trying to teach Snacks to play Fetch and failing miserably. The scientist was currently tossing a small colourful ball (the size of a small golf ball) at the Talmera. Every time he did so, Snacks would dive out of the way, wait until the ball bounced at least once, before wagging its tail furiously and snagging it with its front paws, only to fly off somewhere to return back to McKay empty handed looked as pleased as Punch. Sheppard was sure that Snacks had several stashes of hidey-holes hidden at various parts in Atlantis. He didn't dare think what he would find in them.

"You're supposed to bring back the ball, you little thief, _not _hide it!" McKay ranted loudly. "Let's try this one more time, okay?" he stated in exasperation as he tossed another ball at Snacks. Sheppard noticed that Rodney had a stash of small balls in his backpack and he wondered where the scientist got them.

McKay saw him looking and said, "Katie Brown got them for me."

The scientist threw the small ball again and once more the cycle would repeat itself. Snacks would return back to them minus another colourful ball, its tail wagging madly while it chirped with pride. Finally, giving up on training Snacks to 'fetch-the-ball', McKay looked at Dex and gave a cheeky grin.

"_Snacks, go get Ronon!_" he called out suddenly.

Sheppard lifted his head, wondering what that command was all about. Snacks gave out a happy chirp, lifted its wings and flew like a diving eagle towards the suspicious Satedan. Before Ronon could defend his half-eaten muffin, the little Talmera had plucked it out from the Satedan's fingers like an expert bird of prey and was flying away with its blueberry prize.

Sheppard and Teyla burst out laughing and they laughed even more, when an angry Dex leaned over and swiped the half eaten muffin off from Rodney's hand to stuff it down his mouth in two large bites while shooting a 'take-that!' glare back at McKay.

"But…" McKay protested in shock, "... that was _my _muffin!"

"That should teach you _not _to teach Snacks such tricks, Rodney," Teyla said to the scientist, chuckling.

Sheppard smiled, broke his own muffin into half and tossed the remaining bit to McKay saying "Catch!". He wasn't that hungry anyway, so he didn't mind sharing. However, just as he threw it, Snacks came zooming past again and caught it between its mouth before McKay could get his share.

"Hey! I _didn't_ teach you _that _trick!" McKay yelled at the little Talmera in shocked horror. "Come back here, you little thief! _That muffin's mine!_ You already got Ronon's share!"

More laughter broke out from the rest of the team.

Laughing felt good. It had been a long time since he and his team had laughed together. There was the famous saying, "_Laughter is the best medicine_" and Sheppard felt that it was true to how he felt now. He felt safe and nothing could be better than sitting there, sipping hot chocolate with those whom he cared about.

After a while, he leaned his head back to the ground, feeling warm, cosy and a little drowsy. The hot chocolate felt good in his belly as he stared up at the twinkling stars above. The thick warm blanket that Teyla had brought for him was keeping out most of cold. He made sure that his movements didn't leave any open gaps in his blanket to allow any chill air in. Nearby, he heard the deep breathing of Dex indicating that the Satedan had fallen asleep.

Lifting his head, he saw Ronon lying on his side covered with a blanket; his arm bend under his head using it like a pillow as the warrior slumbered. Teyla, he saw, was leaning her back against Rodney's back. She was also wrapped warmly in a blanket, sitting up with her knees tugged and bent close together. She hugged the chocolate mug in both hands, occasionally taking a sip from it. Her eyes had a faraway look as she stared up at the stars and Sheppard wondered whether she was thinking about her people. After a while he saw her gaze settle on him.

"Are you all right, John?" she asked, giving him a gentle smile. At that question, McKay stopped playing with Snacks to watch Sheppard. The scientist, he saw, was also wrapped up snugly in a blanket.

His gaze wandered back to the stars overhead. For the first time in a long time, he felt at peace with himself. He knew that the nightmares he experienced intermittently would not disappear overnight, but at the same time, he knew that he was going to be all right because he was lucky enough to have a close-knit team who cared about one another. They would never abandon him. They had proven it to him as much. He felt secure in this knowledge and it felt good.

"Yeah," he finally replied as he turned his head back again look at his two team mates. Friends. Family. That was what they were, Rodney, Teyla and Ronon.

"Yeah, I'm going to be all right."

As he said those words he knew that it was the truth. The road ahead of him was still paved with difficulty for he still had to deal and come to terms with everything he had experienced, but at the end of the day, he knew that with support from his team, he _would _be all right again. All it took was time, and currently, he had all the time in the world to _be_ all right. He was no longer dying, he was alive, and most important of all, he hadn't allow Daffy the Wraith to destroy him.

Snacks came towards him to snuggle close by his face and neck. Sheppard smiled as he released some warm blanket space so that the little critter could hop in and share in the warmth. As Snacks wiggled about, his smile widened, loving the soft feel of the furry little critter close by his cheek. He moved his hand to caress the little Talmera under the ears and neck where he knew it loved to be petted. Snacks gave him a little tail wag and snuggled closer, looking ready to curl up and go to sleep now, yawning widely. Sheppard followed suit with a yawn of his own. He was getting sleepy too. He knew that the nightmares wouldn't disappear overnight; that they would still be there to torment him on certain nights. However, right now, from what remained of this night at least, he knew that he had found some solace, some peace. That would have to do.

He cast one last look at the starry night above him as he cuddled Snacks close to his chest and cheek. He saw a shooting star and smiled. He was still starring at the stars when his eyelids drooped and he fell asleep.

---

_Sheppard knew he was dreaming as he walked once again in a golden wheat field. This time it was night and the stars shone brightly overhead. The Wraith as usual was waiting for him at the centre of it. _

"_Ah Sheppard, it is good to see you again. I felt your pain shortly after you returned to your people. I feared that the data I gave your companion was too late to save you." Lf'wyne paused as it studied him closely. Then a growing smile appeared on its features. "But I see that I need not worry, for you are well now." _

"_Yes, I am well," Sheppard replied, returning the smile. _

_The Wraith nodded, "I wanted to be sure for myself…" There was a faraway look in its eyes and then a grin formed. "I hope, my brother, that the next time we meet, it would not be in prison again."_

_Sheppard chuckled in agreement. "Me too…. Anywhere else but there." But his laughter quickly died down when he realised who and what they were. The question had to be asked again. After all, he had to know…_

"_So… The next time we meet, all bets are off?" _

_The Wraith gave him a sombre look as it considered the merit of the question. "Perhaps, Sheppard. It would depend on the circumstances. If you came with specific intentions to harm my people then I would have to fight you, Sheppard. I would like to think that it would not come to that."_

_Sheppard nodded in grim understanding. _

"_Let's hope not, for I would fight you if your people came to feed on mine," he replied. He found that he really didn't want to meet the Wraith again other than in friendly terms. They had saved each others lives and risked death together - surely that had to count for something._

_The Wraith smiled. "As do I. But for now, I bid you farewell, Sheppard. As a human, you have proven yourself worthy of the Gift of Life, a true brother." _

_Sheppard returned the smile. "As a Wraith, you have proven yourself a good friend." He paused and said his next words clearly. "Too bad you're not human."_

_The Wraith shook his head and chuckled. "Ah, Sheppard, it is I who regret that you are not Wraith. Let us pray to whatever gods that we believe in, that we will not meet as enemies in the battlefield." The Wraith looked up at the night sky before adding, "But for now, whenever you see the stars, Sheppard, remember that I would be out there somewhere in the skies."_

"_I'll do that," Sheppard replied, recalling that he was actually asleep under the open canopy of stars with the rest of his team, safely back in Atlantis._

_He didn't know if he would ever meet this Wraith again face to face. But for now, they were friends and for now, that was all that mattered._

**The End**

---

Phew! We made it to the end! Thanks so much to all who have been following this story and especially those who left reviews, commented and answered questions. They made a big difference and I truly appreciated you folks taking the time to pen your thoughts. Although I already had a plot and an ending in mind, some reviews actually gave me ideas, extending subplots and allowed me to push the boundaries of the tale. :) This is definitely one of my larger fics written. (It was both a labour of love and sometimes, a head-banging experience, esp when the muses misbehaved!) I can't believe I've spent so many months working on this.

I have other story ideas, but I don't think I'll be tackling another novel-sized tale for a loooong while, maybe one-offs or shorter fics (if I have the time… we'll have to see, as RL beckons - and I've been ignoring it long enough!). Thanks again to all who have read and especially those who took the trouble to leave reviews. Know that all comments are like a little drop of sunshine in this writer's log; they will be gathered up and treasured, with thoughts of well wishes sent back your way!


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